Serves 4
(per pound of vegetables)
For me, fresh and crunchy crudités are a party essential, whether I’ve invited four friends for dinner or forty for a raucous holiday blowout. Not only do platters of raw veggies prevent guests from filling up before the meal, they bring something beautiful and interactive to the table. The secret to elevating the experience is combining a variety of flavors and textures. Plus, I think it is quite chic to make a crudités platter with a bunch of veggies that are all the same hue. It might sound a little fussy but try it: Your unsuspecting guests will be stunned. Set it out with one or more dips (all of which you can make days in advance) and that’s really all you need to get the party started. And with every compliment you can say, “Oh, you like it? It’s no big deal—I just cut up whatever I had in the crisper drawer.”
Crudités Ombrés
Ombré cakes were kind of a big deal last year on Pinterest, and I predict crudités ombrés will be next. Ombré is a gradual blending of one color hue into another, typically on a spectrum from lighter to darker. Here, I’ve picked vegetables that range from deep purple to pink to white.
no. 1
Purple Carrots
Buy the smallest carrots you can find, scrub them, and serve them whole or halved. If you can only find medium to large ones, cut them lengthwise into two or three spears. For maximum visual effect, arrange the pieces with the purple side out.
no. 2
Radicchio
The bitterness of radicchio makes it great for dunking into something sweet, like my creamy beet dip, but it’s also terrific with my hearts of palm dip. If using radicchio from Treviso, just pull the leaves off as you would for Belgian endive and Little Gem lettuce. If using traditional radicchio, cut the whole head in half through the core and then cut each half into very thin wedges.
no. 3
Breakfast Radishes
For a little drama, cut these to look like flowers. (Nope, it’s not some special trick I learned from a Japanese vegetable carver!) Using a paring knife, make a lengthwise cut through a radish about halfway from the top. Rotate it 90 degrees and repeat, almost like marking an “X.” After a 30-minute soak in ice water the radish will curl outward into “petals.”
no. 4
Easter Radishes
These range from light purple to white. Place the white ones near the Japanese turnips. Use the remaining ones to build a nice transition from purples to pinks. Serve the smaller radishes whole. If they’re large, cut them in half lengthwise. If you have time, soak the radishes in a big bowl of water for about 20 minutes to make them terrifically crisp and keep them from drying out.
no. 5
Chioggia Beets
Not everyone is into eating raw beets, but I happen to love the earthy flavor of Chioggia beets. I also adore their white and pink spirals. If the beets are small, just give them a good scrub and then either cut them into super-thin wedges or rounds, or shave them with a mandoline. If they’re bigger and have thicker skins, you might want to peel them first.
no. 6
Ninja Radishes
These medium-size radishes are oblong with a pale purple skin. They’re purple and white on the inside, which makes them absolutely perfect for a cruidités ombrés platter. Because they tend to be firmer than most radishes, I prefer to cut them into thin slices.
no. 7
Fennel
Some people love fennel and others love to hate it. Personally, I adore the licorice-y flavor it brings to a crudité platter. The easiest way to prepare it is to first take off the fibrous outer parts, then cut the bulb in half lengthwise. Hold the bulb with the cut side up so you can see the core, then cut it into thin wedges (the core holds the wedges together).
no. 8
Japanese Turnips
See Crudités Blanches.
Crudités Vertes
Pile these beautiful green veggies on a big platter and serve them alongside any of the dips from this chapter. These are especially wonderful with my lemony whipped feta.
no. 9
Broccolini
I love using broccoli for crudités, but the smaller florets and long, thin stalks of Broccolini feel new and exciting. I trim the very ends of the stalks and then shave off the thickest skin with a vegetable peeler. You can leave the Broccolini spears whole, but I prefer to cut them in half lengthwise (or in thirds if they’re huge). This makes them more manageable to eat and also multiplies the number of people they serve.
no. 10
Sugar Snap Peas
Who doesn’t love eating these raw, especially in the summer when they’re so sweet? All you have to do is remove the top strings. To make it easy, I pinch the very tip of each pea and drag it lengthwise. You can pull off the bottom strings, too, if you find them annoying to eat (I don’t).
no. 11
Persian Cucumbers
These are a little like kirby cukes, the kind often used for pickles, but I think they’re just right for crudités because they have a crisp, thin skin and can be cut into irregular spears that make a platter look delightfully rustic (perfect shapes are so passé). Just use my neat cutting technique to get those pretty pieces: Slice the cucumber on an extreme angle, then roll it 90 degrees and make another angled cut. Keep rolling and cutting until you’re done.
no. 12
Romanesco
Romanesco is related to cauliflower, but it’s emerald green and spiky, mild in flavor, and super crunchy. To prep it for the platter, hold it in a large bowl with the florets facing down. Using a knife, cut off the florets, rotating the head as you cut and letting the pieces fall into the bowl.
no. 13
Little Gem Lettuce
I’ve started seeing this variety of lettuce at restaurants and grocery stores everywhere, and now I’m a believer, too. The leaves are reminiscent of the very inner part of romaine but are more compact, with a sweeter flavor. They’re known to be great for salads that you can eat with your hands, so why not serve them with dips?
no. 14
Celery Ribs
Ah, celery: What crudité platter is complete without it? I use the entire head, including the pale inner ribs and the dark outer ones. I like to cut them on an extreme angle into long slivers. I usually shoot for ½ inch thick but obviously perfection is not what I’m going for here. They end up looking a bit like half-moons that have been stretched into exaggerated ovals.
no. 15
Belgian Endive
The juicy, crisp texture combined with the nutty-sweet flavor and natural cup shape make these spears a crudité must. Plus, Belgian endive practically preps itself! Just slide your pointer finger between each leaf and the core and snap at the base. Try not to break the leaves, though, because they will go brown pretty quickly.
Crudités Blanches
White vegetables, arranged thoughtfully on a platter, make for one heck of an elegant presentation. Put them on a dark—even black—plate and they become strikingly modern. Most of the vegetables here can be found year-round, but feel free to substitute anything that’s in season. I prefer these with my pickled beet dip but they’re also awesome with my whipped feta.
no. 16
Daikon
Crisp and mild, daikon is one of my favorite radishes. It’s often used for kimchi or Korean beef braises, but I also eat it raw. Be sure to buy firm ones (bendy daikon isn’t good daikon) that smell fresh. I peel them, but you don’t have to. If the daikon is huge, cut it in half lengthwise and then cut it crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons. If it’s small, it will look pretty cut into rounds. Radishes often dry out easily, so soak the sliced daikon in ice water for about 15 minutes before serving.
no. 17
Cauliflower
Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of people blanching cauliflower, but I much prefer it raw. Cut the head into florets, like you would broccoli, or just break it up with your hands. When I have time, I season the pieces by soaking them in ice water mixed with a handful of kosher salt and maybe a little vinegar. Just be sure to drain the cauliflower well before serving, or give it a whirl in a salad spinner.
no. 18
White Asparagus
I don’t love the harsh flavor or coarse texture of raw asparagus, either white or green, so I always blanch them quickly even for a “raw” platter. (What’s wrong with breaking the rules every now and then, huh?) To prep the asparagus, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and set up a big bowl of ice water nearby. Cook the asparagus for a minute or two, until crisp-tender. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to the ice bath and let cool. Drain and pat dry before serving.
no. 19
Fennel
Prep it just as you would for an ombré arrangement. Or cut it into graceful slices. To do that, first divide the bulb in half lengthwise. Place the halves cut-side down on a work surface and, using a large knife, very thinly slice lengthwise into long strips. Soak the strips in ice water for about 15 minutes, until they curl ever so slightly and become impossibly crisp, then drain well.
no. 20
Belgian Endive
I love Belgian endive leaves on both a green and white platter of veggies. Like I said, Mother Nature made them natural scoopers of dips. And guess what? I heard a rumor that there’s just one calorie per leaf.
no. 21
Japanese Turnips
These tender and sweet turnips look a bit like perfectly shaped radishes but are milder in flavor and paler. They’re tedious to peel, so don’t bother. I cut the larger ones lengthwise into quarters but most are small enough to be served whole or halved. As with daikon, I like to give these a quick soak in ice water before serving so they’re extra crisp and juicy.