60 Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Veggie Tray

Ingredients

• 8 baby carrots
• 8 celery stalks (cut into approx 5 inch lengths)
• 8 French radishes (halved)
• 1 sweet pepper (sliced lengthwise)
• 2 small heads Belgian endive (quartered)
• 2 small heads radicchio (quartered)
• 1 Small bunch tender stem broccoli
• 6 sugar snap peas (halved lengthwise)
• 8 baby corn (halved lengthwise)
• 8 cherry tomatoes (halved (red and yellow mix for color))
• 8 mini cucumbers (halved lengthwise)
• 8 asparagus tips
• Small handful of fresh herbs (such as oregano, thyme or micro greens, for garnish)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Begin by preparing the vegetables: ---

2. 2

   Wash and pat dry all vegetables so they look crisp and vibrant on the board. Trim and long stems, eg. We cut the celery stalks, asparagus tips and broccoli to around 5 inches so the majority of the vegetables had uniform length. The length of vegetables such as sweet peppers, endive and radicchio will be determined by size, it’s good to have some variation as this adds contrast. The radishes, tomatoes and snap peas are smaller which helps to add depth and texture to the overall feel of the wreath.

3. 3

   --- Create the wreath shape: ---

4. 4

   Place a round marble board in front of you. Imagine a clock face - we started by adding the celery stalks at positions 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Work your way around the board adding the longer vegetables beside the celery and so on. We ended up with groups of longer vegetables that eventually filled the gaps in the “clock”.

5. 5

   Once your base layer is in place, build upward by tucking in smaller pieces - radish halves, tomatoes and snap peas. This creates a sense of fullness.

6. 6

   Garnish and finish by tucking in fresh herbs or micro greens.

7. 7

   --- Make the dip: ---

8. 8

   In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives garlic powder and lemon juice.

9. 9

   Season generously with salt and pepper then stir until smooth and creamy.

10. 10

    Taste and add seasoning as needed. Add a little extra lemon juice for more tang or extra chives for freshness. Sprinkle a few extra chives to garnish.

11. 11

    Place the dip in the center of your crudité wreath.

12. 12

    Allow guests to help themselves. Enjoy!