REC: Mpls. Cook-In - Vegetable Bouquet
sd
fresh fruits and vegetables. It requires no cooking at all and doesn't
take as long as the instructions make it seem. The only real requirement
is a _very_ sharp small paring or utility knife.
To see an example, check out the pictures at Barb's Jamlady Web site:
<www.jamlady.eboard.com> ; look at the second set of Cook-In pictures on
the Misc tab. The bouquet pictured took about an hour from unwrapping
veggies to wrapping the finished bouquet. As a purchasing guide, I used
a large bunch of broccoli, a small head of cauliflower, most of an 8-oz
box of mushrooms, two bunches of radishes, two large carrots, and one
bunch of scallions.
Vegetable Bouquet
(any or all of the following, in a quantity consistent with the size of
the bouquet you want to make):
broccoli florets
cauliflower florets
whole fresh white mushrooms
cherry or grape tomatoes
radishes (different colors are better)
bell peppers (any color but green is preferable)
whole carrots
scallions (green tops only)
bamboo skewers (I use long and short ones; cut the long ones to varying
lengths)
1/2 head green cabbage OR 1/2 oval/round loaf of bread, unsliced
Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Clean and trim the broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes, if
necessary. Set aside.
Clean and trim the radishes and cut into radish roses. Toss into the ice
water.
Clean and trim the peppers. Cut longitudinally into wedges approximately
3/4-inch to 1-inch wide. Set aside.
Clean and trim carrots. Cut the carrots into roughly tulip-like shapes.
(I do this by whittling one end of the carrot like a pencil, moving the
knife down about an inch, and cutting at a 45 degree angle while I
rotate the carrot. You may have to twist the newly-cut piece off the
carrot.) You can make thin cuts on the sides of each carrot piece to
resemble petals. Toss into the ice water.
Cut the scallions to the length of the skewers. Then "fringe" the last
half-inch or so of one end of each scallion to look like sepals. Toss
into the ice water. I don't wrap every skewer in scallion -- just the
longer, more visible ones.
Put the cabbage or bread in a medium bowl; the top of the bowl should be
about the same height as the top of the cabbage/bread.
Remove any vegetables in ice water and drain or dry with a towel. Start
with the smaller skewers. Push the flat end of the skewer through the
unfringed end of the scallion. Then, for all veggies EXCEPT mushrooms,
tomatoes, and peppers, push the flat end of the skewer into the end of
the vegetable piece. The push the pointed end of the skewer into the
cabbage/bread. For mushrooms and tomatoes, push the skewer-with-scallion
into the cabbage/bread first, then push on the mushroom or tomato. For
peppers, don't bother with the scallion at all; simply thread the skewer
through the top and bottom of the wedge. Arrange a mixture of colors and
heights.
This is best transported wrapped in aluminum foil. Plastic wrap would
work, too, but foil preserves the "wow" factor. Encourage people to eat
it (I've found no one wants to be the first one to pluck a "flower")!
Serve with a dip or dressing, if desired.
Melba's Jammin'
<sd5...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The inspiration for this was a muse on edible flowers and the beauty of
> fresh fruits and vegetables. It requires no cooking at all and doesn't
> take as long as the instructions make it seem. The only real requirement
> is a _very_ sharp small paring or utility knife.
>
> To see an example, check out the pictures at Barb's Jamlady Web site:
> <www.jamlady.eboard.com> ; look at the second set of Cook-In pictures on
> the Misc tab. The bouquet pictured took about an hour from unwrapping
> veggies to wrapping the finished bouquet. As a purchasing guide, I used
> a large bunch of broccoli, a small head of cauliflower, most of an 8-oz
> box of mushrooms, two bunches of radishes, two large carrots, and one
> bunch of scallions.
>
>
> Vegetable Bouquet
> This is best transported wrapped in aluminum foil. Plastic wrap would
> work, too, but foil preserves the "wow" factor. Encourage people to eat
> it (I've found no one wants to be the first one to pluck a "flower")!
> Serve with a dip or dressing, if desired.
Thanks, Steve. I'm still tellin' ya I'm no good at that kind of thing.
While the veggies I sampled (I forced myself to be first) were fresh,
crisp, and delicious, WHERE'S THE DIP RECIPE? (Oh, excuse me for
raising my voice.)
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com>,
First of the Minneapolis r.f.c. picnic pictures are up for view.
Go to the Misc. tab on the eboard (URL above).
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Damsel in dis Dress
>WHERE'S THE DIP RECIPE?
Steve posted the dip recipe ... here it is, in all its glory:
For Barb (and other interested parties). The original recipe was on the
back of a bag of Sargento shredded cheese (credit where credit is due!).
That was actually the maiden voyage for that dip; I'm glad people liked
it.
Cheddar Cheese Dip
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I used an extra-
sharp block cheese from a local cheesemaker and
ran it through the Cuisinart. I suggest using a
very fine shred if you can manage it)
1 cup mayonnaise (n.b., not "salad dressing" -- it's
too sweet)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I actually used granulated garlic)
Mix all together. If you want, thin it with a little milk and make it
more of a salad dressing instead of a dip.
--
Damsel's Unofficial Web Home of RFC:
http://home.att.net/~edible-complex/
Culinary FAQs, RFC Cook-Ins, Birthdays,
Signature Dishes
Damsel in dis Dress
the food, I'd have helped more with the "de-flowering."
Thanks!
Carol
Melba's Jammin'
Dress <damsel-in...@att.net.removethis> wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' <barbsc...@earthlink.net> said:
>
> >WHERE'S THE DIP RECIPE?
>
> Steve posted the dip recipe ... here it is, in all its glory:
Eeep. I missed it. Thanks, DamCarol. (This is a more formal
occasion, necessitating more formality in addressing you.) :-)