Blanched Crudites Recipes

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, and add asparagus; boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness).
• Remove with tongs, or drain in a colander, and immediately transfer to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Drain; refrigerate until completely chilled.

EASIEST CRUDITéS PLATTER EVER!

Steps:

• Arrange all your crudites or vegetables on your board and serve!
• Enjoy with friends!

CRUDITES WITH BALSAMIC DIP

Steps:

• Puree all balsamic dip ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Serve in a bowl alongside veggies.

CRUDITéS WITH LEMON-GARLIC AïOLI

Steps:

• 1. Mix all the aïoli ingredients in a large bowl and season to taste. The aïoli will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• 2. Rub a little lemon on the mushrooms to prevent them from turning brown.
• 3. You can make the platter up to a day ahead and store the vegetables in separate Ziploc bags. It's best to blanch the vegetables the morning of the party. (You can blanch the asparagus in boiling water with a teaspoon of baking soda, secured with a rubber band, for 30 seconds. Place the spears in an ice bath and drain-don't leave them in the ice bath or they'll get soggy.) Repeat with the zucchini, blanching it whole, cutting it on an angle to the desired thickness.
• 4. Arrange the veggies on a platter with a bowl of aïoli and scatter the herbs on top if you like.

CRUDITES WITH OLIVE OIL AND FLAVORED SALTS

Steps:

• Place sesame seeds in small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Stir until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool completely. Place in a spice grinder with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to small ramekin.
• Mix curry powder and 5 teaspoons salt in small bowl. Transfer mixture to another small ramekin.
• Mix paprika and 5 teaspoons salt in small bowl. Transfer mixture to another small ramekin. (Flavored salts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and set aside at room temperature.)
• Pour oil into small bowl or ramekin. Place vegetables decoratively on platter. Serve, passing oil and salts separately.

SIMPLE PIPED CRUDITES

Steps:

• Separate celery stalks, and wash thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler, peel away any tough, stringy fibers from the outside of each stalk. Cut each stalk into 4-inch-long pieces; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Snip the tips off each pea pod, and place in boiling water. Blanch for 15 seconds. Drain, and immediately rinse under cold water.
• Slice radishes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; set aside. Working with a channel knife, cut about 6 parallel, evenly spaced grooves down the length of the cucumber. Slice cucumber crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; set aside. Using the channel knife, slice about 8 parallel evenly spaced grooves down length of daikon. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds and set aside.
• Slice the carrots in half lengthwise and set aside. Just before piping, separate endive, and trim ends.
• Arrange vegetables on large platters. Spoon the cream cheese into a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip or a freezer bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe cream cheese onto each vegetable. Garnish with chives and mint leaves.

CRUDITéS

Steps:

• Equipment:cutting boardpeelerspoonchef's knife, 8-inchserving plateArrange the carrot, celery, cucumber, and bell pepper in a circle on a serving plate and put the broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes in the center. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Crudités will keep for 3 days.Crudités with Blanched Vegetables: Tougher vegetables, such as broccoli, are easier for some people to digest when lightly blanched. To blanch the broccoli, put 4 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat. Add the broccoli and let sit for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the broccoli with cold water to stop the cooking. Other vegetables that can be blanched prior to serving as crudités include asparagus, cauliflower, and green beans.