raw vegetable and dip platter, suggestions?

[HappyAvocado]

what do you put on your raw veggie platter?
im doing a raw vegetable platter for a friends wedding in a few weeks and i am trying to make it more interesting than the old standard carrots and celery and onion dip. so far on my veggies list:

a few heirloom varieties of carrots
celery
red and green and yellow peppers
jicama
broccoli and cauliflower florettes
cherry tomatoes, red and yellow
blanched asparagus
radishes
sugar snap peas
zucchini spears

i am going to decorate the platter with fresh parsley and dill. am i missing anything? what veggies do you like to dip?

 

[Constance]

I like sliced fresh mushrooms, and red and yellow bell pepper strips.

 

[HappyAvocado]

ooh, i forgot mushrooms! good one, maybe i can find a couple of different kinds to liven things up. i have always thought that mushrooms are cute, too.

 

[middie]

don't forget the pickles !
oh and olives !

 

[Robo410]

endive makes a fine dipping spear and is crip and fresh.

for dips try a chipotle pepper mayo/sour cream mix. also creamy caesar thinned with red wine vinegar then add chunks of feta...delish

a mix of tart and sweet apple slices and a cheddar cheese dip or port wine cheese dip with crushed walnuts. yum!

 

[kitchenelf]

I hope I can describe this so it makes sense. I stacked some boxes and made different platforms so when I draped a while tablecloth over them there were different tiers that cascased down. It wasn't really tall, kind of like stairs that are a pain to walk up and down because the riser is so short. I put in the top box a hollowed out cabbage with HUGE leaves still attached. From there I started cascading different vegetables out from under the cabbage leaves, as if they were spilling off the top tier - I would keep them all in a line but the line could be winding and then cutting across another line. You just have to be sure all the veggies are dry or the tablecloth will start looking wet.

I used:

red pepper
green pepper
cherry tomatoes
carrot sticks
celery
broccoli
broccoli stems (peeled and cut in sticks)
radishes

I can't remember what else but there was a big variety. As far as a dip there are so many. I think way back then I used the Knor's Leek soup mix with sour cream and I added some curry. But veggie dips have come a long way since them!!! lol

 

[daisy]

Try a few shallots - the things that look a bit like chives, only fatter! Green onions? Scallions?

Or julienned raw beetroot. Nicer than you'd think.

 

[SierraCook]

Don't forget the green onions or cucumber. Here are some of my favorite veggie dips.

Italian Vegetable Dip


1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 envelope Italian salad dressing
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper

Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, and salad dressing mix. Stir in red and green bell peppers. Refrigerate. Serve with bread sticks, vegetables, and crackers.


Tuscan Dip

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Mix cream cheese and sour cream in a medium bowl until well blended. Add tomatoes, olives, and onion. Mix well. Serve with crackers or vegetables.


Fresh Herb Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 container (8 oz.) plain yogurt
2 tbsp. chopped chives

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to combine flavors.

 

[jkath]

Sierra, that Tuscan dip sounds great! I bet it's wonderful spread on little toasted baguette slices too!

 

[marmalady]

Soak your jicama in some lemon water - they do tend to turn brown after sitting a while.


ALso, think about serving in different ways; use vegetable 'cups' when you can (hollowed out cabbage filled with cherry tomatoes, for example), or putting the 'tall veggies' in different size glasses to add height to your display. You can also use kale as a 'bed' for your veggies; makes a pretty background.

 

[HappyAvocado]

oh wow, thanks for all of the great ideas, everybody! sierracook, i think i will try that tuscan dip, it looks great. i was also thinking some sort of bleu cheese dip, i know a place where i can get an excellent goatsmilk bleu. and then probably a non-creamy one like babaganooj or hummus.

how could i have forgotten cucumber! green onions will go on the plate, too. i love fresh beets but i might skip those... they might dye the rest of the plate pink!

 

[SierraCook]

Sierra, that Tuscan dip sounds great! I bet it's wonderful spread on little toasted baguette slices too!

jkath, it is so good. I just could eat the whole bowlful.

Happy Avocado, I like your idea of a bleu cheese dip. Nothing like a good bleu cheese. It is one of my favorite cheeses. Yum!!

 

[kitchenelf]

Try a few shallots - the things that look a bit like chives, only fatter! Green onions? Scallions?

Or julienned raw beetroot. Nicer than you'd think.

Green onions and scallions are the same thing - chives are actually flatter than those - shallots is a whole different ballgame - I don't think you want to eat those raw. I'll have to give beetroot a try! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Piccolina]

Some times I like to do an autumny type of veg platter and use:

-carrots
-red and yellow (and/or orange) peppers
-turnips
-baby leeks (if you can find them)
-baby gem lettuces cut into quarters or sixths
-slices of fennel
-zucchini and/or cucumber

To go with these I often serve either an Italian banga cauda or an aioli (which is really nice with a spoonful or two of roasted red pepper pesto thrown in!)

 

[luvs]

i was thinking yellow squash (the kind that's like zucchini). that'd make a nice contrast in color if you put it next to the zucchini.

 

[HappyAvocado]

thanks for the help everybody, the veggie platters turned out great! i ended up with carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, red and green pepper, zucchini and yellow squash, sugar snap peas, some excellent baby heirloom tomatos in yellow, red, orange and purple, jicama, mushrooms, lemon cucumber, and regular cucumber, garnished with mustard greens, kale and parsley. the tuscan dip was a huge hit, i used a sheepsmilk feta instead of creme cheese and i also made baba ganooj and an delicious onion dip....

i was going to make that old classic with the onionsoup mix but i havent ever made it before and when i read the ingredients on the onion soup package i just couldnt do it! corn syrup and MSG and all sorts of yucky things... so, i made up my own and it was wonderful. i roasted about 20 cloves of garlic in the oven and then mashed them up with two containers of sour cream, added dehydrated onion and chopped fresh green onion, chives, salt and pepper.... yum!

 

[SierraCook]

I am glad that everything went so well. Your roasted garlic onion dip sounds fantastic.

 

[amber]

If you want to be creative with your veggies, you might check out the pictures on this link to get some ideas.

http://www.veggiebouquet.com/bouquet.html