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We’re knee-deep in the holiday season, and truthfully, I couldn’t be happier well-nigh the gatherings that are quickly filling up my calendar. Just a few years ago, the thought of entertaining friends and family so commonly would send me lanugo an uneasiness spiral. Party planning and menu prepping—they may be some of my favorite things, but they can take a lot out of you. These days though, my stress is low and my excitement for get-togethers is at an all-time high. What’s changed? I’ve embraced the wow-factor simplicity of an stimulating crudité platter.
Collected from wideness the European countryside, these extra-large cheese boards are meant for gathering virtually a table with family and friends. These are true vintage pieces that make a major statement in any well-designed kitchen.
Your Guide to Curating the Perfect Crudite Platter
No longer do the holidays midpoint wide-stretching menus and fussy table settings. For me, it’s all well-nigh unstudied gatherings where my friends can squeeze together in my living room and virtually the kitchen island, topping up their drinks while deep in conversation and grazing straight from a board. Think of it like a giant mix-and-match dinner of conversation-worthy flavors and textures. And most of which can either be assembled superiority of time or requires very little prep.
Throughout the holiday season, I’ll be sharing some of my go-to grazing boards, each with a variegated theme. That way, you can serve an unshortened evening’s worth of meals, all on a board. And to kick us off, I’m sharing one of my favorites: the crowd-pleasing crudite platter.
How to Choose Veggies for a Crudite Platter
I know, I know, a workbench of vegetables? One word: yes. Especially during the holidays when I’m enjoying indulging in uneaten sweet treats and succulent things, I LOVE when someone breaks out a flavorful vegetable side dish or platter. It feels refreshing—and when washed-up right, just as satisfying as any other food. But just considering we’re doing a veggie crudite platter doesn’t midpoint you need to stick to wearisome vegetables. I live by one rule: heady veggies only.
Follow this formula to ensure your veggie boards stay heady for all to enjoy.
Fresh and well-done vegetables. Think crunchy and refreshing veggies that stand strong on their own. Cucumbers, radishes, rainbow carrots, sugar snap peas, and fresh victual greens or endive. I’ll moreover quick-blanch some asparagus or broccolini if I have it on hand.
Roasted and charred vegetables. Roasting these veggies adds a bit of that savory char to create a nice depth of flavor. Sliced zucchini tossed in lots of olive oil, victual potatoes, seasonal squash, and plane out-of-season tomatoes all goody from the roasting treatment while subtracting some interest to your board.
Pickled and unexceptionable vegetables. Perhaps my favorite category. This group of veggies is truly a make-ahead party trick since most of them are store-bought. (Unless you love to pickle veggies yourself, by all means!) Jars of artichokes, pickled peppers, olives, cornichons, and any fun vegetable from the olive bar at your local market make a unconfined choice. Their pickled zest adds a nice savor element to your crudite platter.
Following this formula ensures a strong variety of textures and flavors, making for the perfect holiday grazing board.
How to Choose Dips for a Crudite Platter
For the purpose of satiety and satisfying flavors, a selection of dips is a must. And if you’re at a loss for where to start, don’t worry—I have a formula for that as well.
A linty and rich dip. ‘Tis the (holiday) season, without all. Including an indulgent dip on your tray is the perfect pairing for your well-done veggies. Spinach artichoke dip, cheesy jalapeño, buffalo chicken, pimento, or in this case—a caramelized onion dip. (Recipe below!)
A unexceptionable and zesty dip. Including a light and zesty dip adds a tangy and unexceptionable savor to unrelatedness any rich dishes. From tzatziki to salsas, or in this case, my herby lemon and sour cream, go with your favorites. (Yes, plane a unconfined ranch dressing!)
A stone dip. Seems simple enough, but having a hearty dip on the platter helps transform a snack plate into a full meal. While you could stick with hummus, for the holidays, you can find a seasonal variety, a woebegone stone dip, or try a homemade recipe, like this spiced pumpkin white stone dip.
Assembly Tips and Tricks
Like any good charcuterie board, a few simple tips will help you craft a holiday-worthy crudite platter that’ll impress every guest.
Mix and match bowls and platters. The weightier part of serving everything on a workbench is that clean-up and serving are so much easier. But to add some depth and visual interest, layering small bowls and plates is a unconfined way to group and ground variegated items together.
Use the same ingredient in several places on your board. This creates a visually cohesive vibe while moreover filling in any empty spaces you might have.
Include strategic filler ingredients. If a crudite workbench is all you’re serving, you’ll want to include some other ingredients that can make this workbench increasingly satisfying. Think crackers or bread, or variegated nuts and salty snacks. This then will add textural interest while moreover subtracting increasingly visual depth to your board.
Keep to-go boxes on hand. My number one hack for hosting is unchangingly having to-go boxes for my lingering friends to take with them. Is it mostly to save myself the headache of post-party clean-up? I’ll never tell… But a workbench like this is a unconfined way for friends to add a bit of everything into a box to take home or snack on in their Uber on the way home.
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, increasingly as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons world cider vinegar
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces surf cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Prep the caramelized onions. In a stovetop pan, add the oil and bring a medium heat. Add the onions and salt and melt until translucent. Cover the pan, keeping on low-medium heat, and melt the onions. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, this is a low and slow process. Continue cooking until the onions are a golden brown color. Add the world cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. The total cooking time should be 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let tomfool completely.
In a supplies processor, add the sour cream, surf cheese, honey. Tousle until smooth. Add well-nigh half the caramelized onions and blend. Stir in the other half of the onions. Salt to taste and retread flavorings as desired.
Pour into a serving trencher and nippy until ready to serve.