Ask Rhodes

Savvy readers will recall way back to our fall issue when Kathryn Anderson ’87 inquired about a tasty sandwich served in the Lynx Pub.

Well, Kathryn, this recipe’s for you:

Dear Ask Rhodes,

Hi! This is Cathy Reese, class of 1984. I worked 1980-84 in the Pub. I made the garden spread for those sandwiches every morning before classes. (Also chicken salad and I can’t remember what else!) Here is what I remember. (Amounts are estimated, as I have not made this in about . . . 31 years!)

Cathy Reese ’84

Garden Spinach Spread

10 oz chopped frozen spinach, drained/squeezed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 or 3 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
mix well, keep refrigerated
it should be a bit tangy 

Use real butter to make a grilled cheese with whatever cheeses you love (it is always better to use at least two different ones, three is even better). Put spinach spread on top of the cheeses while the cheeses are melting (otherwise the spread might be cold).

But wait!!! There’s more.

Dear Ask Rhodes,

If I am not mistaken, I think the garden spread sandwich that Kathryn is referring to is an amazing sandwich that was plucked from a restaurant in Little Rock, AR (my hometown). This sandwich and various versions of it are a staple in my family’s cookbooks and is still on the menu at Jimmy’s Serious Sandwiches in Little Rock.

Back in the day, the Pub and the Grill were student-run establishments, which is why the Rhodes food staff would not have known about this sandwich. I believe it was a special that we occasionally featured on the Grill menu. As you can see, it has a lot of ingredients and takes a little time to make, but it is so worth it.

Karen Joyce Arkin ’84

Here is Karen’s recipe:

The Garden Sandwich was the number #1 recipe chosen in 1979. It was created by Jim Weisman, then proprietor of Out To Lunch, a fast food sandwich shop, in Little Rock, AK.

The Garden Sandwich



2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen spinach, thawed, or 1 1/2 lbs fresh, blanched, drained and chopped

1/2 cup minced green onions

1 tbsp minced green (bell) pepper

6 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt
Butter, softened for spreading

12 slices pumpernickel bread

6 (1 oz) slices Swiss cheese

6 (1 oz) slices provolone cheese

6 (1/2 oz) slices cheddar cheese

2 tbsp roasted sunflower seeds

2/3 cup sauteed, sliced mushrooms

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

Fresh Spinach leaves for garnish

Cherry tomatoes for garnish



Squeeze excess moisture from spinach; combine with
onion, green pepper, mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt;
toss to blend; set aside.
Butter one side of all 12 bread slices; place buttered
sides down on grill or in skillet. Lightly brown on
buttered sides; remove 6 slices from grill; set aside.
On 6 bread slices remaining on grill, place one slice from
each of the cheeses, for a total of 3 slices of cheese
on each grilling slice of bread. Grill covered, until
cheeses soften; remove from grill.
On each of the empty, grilled, slices of bread spread about 1/3 cup of spinach mixture.
Sprinkle equal amounts of seeds, mushrooms and sprouts on top of spinach.
Arrange one spinach-topped slice of bread and one cheese topped slice, open faced, on each plate.
Close sandwich before eating.
Garnish with fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Oh, goodness, Ask Rhodes is hungry. See you in summer.