French Crudites Recipes

FRENCH CRUDITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, and chop coarsely.
• Place beets in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer. Cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 30 minutes, depending on size. Drain, and rinse well with cold water. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel; grate beets into a bowl using large holes of box grater. Add chopped nuts; toss to combine, and set aside.
• Peel and seed cucumbers. Grate on large holes of box grater, and place in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and set aside for 20 minutes to let juices drain. Discard accumulated juices, transfer cucumbers to a clean kitchen towel, and wring out any additional moisture. Transfer to a bowl, and add radishes; set aside.
• In another bowl, combine carrots, raisins, and parsley; set aside. Peel celery roots; grate on large holes of box grater. Place in bowl; add cornichon, capers, and chives. Add mayonnaise; stir to combine.
• In another bowl, whisk together mustard and vinegar until well combined. Drizzle in olive oil, and whisk until dressing is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Drizzle half of the dressing over each salad, tossing to combine. Season each with salt and pepper. Garnish beets and celery roots with additional chives, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

CRUDITéS VEGETABLES WITH REMOULADE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl or resealable plastic container, combine vegetables with salt and 4 cups water and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to one day).
• In a small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and parsley. Stir well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the vegetables well and serve alongside the sauce.

CRUDITE DIP

Steps:

• Combine the first 9 ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. If desired, sprinkle with additional parsley. Serve with vegetables.

BLANCHED CRUDITES

Steps:

• Prepare a large pot of boiling salted water, and fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Remove the tough bottoms of the asparagus stalks. If they are thick, peel the stems half-way up the stalk.
• Add the carrots to the pot of boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Immediately remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and plunge them in the bowl of ice water. Drain the carrots when fully cooled.
• Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Immediately remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the reserved bowl of ice water. Drain the asparagus when fully cooled.
• Slice the radicchio into wedges.
• Arrange the carrots, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and radicchio on a platter and serve with the Herb Dip.
• Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend. Serve at room temperature.

PARISIENNE BISTRO CRUDITé PLATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• For baby beets, slice the tops off 1/2 inch above the stem and place on a baking pan. Toss beets with just enough olive oil to evenly coat; add a little water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake for about 25 minutes, then test the beets by inserting a paring knife into the center of one. The knife should slip out easily when you pick it up. If not, continue to cook for 5-10 more minutes. Cool, then rub the skins off with a paper towel.
• For larger beets, slice off the tops 1/2 inch above the stem and roast on a baking pan in the oven without covering and without water for about 40 minutes. Test doneness in the same manner. When they are cool enough to handle, peel with a sharp paring knife.
• Place sliced or diced beets in a bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Serve the beets simply dressed or with sliced red onion, arugula or spinach, and crumbled goat cheese or shaved ricotta salata for a more substantial salad.
• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard.
• There are generally two ways to prepare celery root for remoulade. Some people like it grated (in a food processor or by hand) and tossed raw with the dressing. But you can also use a Japanese mandolin to slice the celery root into matchsticks, and then blanch them. The grated way is good raw, because I think it gets a little moister. The blanched matchsticks are appealing because the cooking process brings out the flavor more. If you choose to blanch the root, cover the matchsticks with acidulated water (water with the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt) as you do your slicing, to avoid discoloration. When you're done slicing, place the matchsticks and the water over high heat, bring to a boil, then drain. Rinse them briefly with cold water, then dry thoroughly. When cool, toss the celery root with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the carrots, lemon juice, and walnut oil together in a bowl. Season with salt. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.
• Split the cucumbers in half and use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice cucumber and place in a medium bowl with the onion, sour cream, dill, and vinegar. Use a rubber spatula to combine well. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add salt or vinegar, as needed.