Crudités with green goddess dip
Done right, this is an appetizer that holds its own among the greats. The green goddess dip is key here with its seriously zesty zip from garlic, green onion, lemon juice, and lots and lots of fresh basil. It is a perfect appetizer to throw together at a moment’s notice during this party-filled time of year. Because it is relatively simple in nature, I really like to focus on a pretty presentation, which is no more work but results in a slightly classier finished product. I’ve brought variations of this to other people’s get togethers, and have also served it at home as munchies before dinner that won’t fill everyone up. I love that it’s versatile—there aren’t many people who can’t indulge, even in the ever growing world of paleo, gluten free, etc. (quick shout out to everyone out there who still eats everything in sight—we’re still going strong)
Here's what I like to keep in mind, even though there are no hard and fast rules
Crunch! We want great raw veggies with crunch.
Variety! Variety in texture, color, and flavor
Freshness! Fresh is always best with produce
Greenery as backdrop! Some sort of bed for the vegetables to lay on helps make the board more rustic and unique and less supermarket veggie platter
Presentation! The board should have organization and be visually pleasing, maybe through a symmetrical or otherwise interesting layout (I started by arranging the chunkier veggies around the bowl, and then arranged the longer pieces around them, in no particular order, but considering color and length)
here are Some of my favorite vegetables to include
Carrots—I love the thin organic carrots with the stems trimmed down, and I use the green leafy stems as a bed for the veggies to lay on
Gherkin cucumbers—cut lengthwise into quarters they are the perfect size for dipping and have great crunch in every bite
Peppers—sometimes I use whole mini peppers in red, yellow, and orange, but here I sliced up light green Hungarian wax peppers
Radish—my favorite crunchy and spicy element on a crudité platter
Cauliflower—my second favorite element, especially for its color and texture
Green beans—these are particularly delicious with the green goddess dip, so I love to include them
Celery—another veggie that’s so transformed by dip that it seems worth including
Green goddess dip
Inspired by Ina Garten
½ cup plus 1 T sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
A couple large handfuls of basil leaves (maybe 25 large leaves)
1 clove garlic
1 singular scallion, white and light green parts only, sliced
Pinch of salt, adding more to taste if necessary
Freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of chopped basil as garnish, if you’d like
Blend and pulse in a food processor until completely smooth, using a spatula to wipe down the sides a couple of times. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Store in fridge until ready to serve, and garnish with some more freshly cracked pepper and finely chopped basil if you’d like.