With the holidays coming up chances are you’re in need of some quick and easy options to serve at your holiday party or to bring to a potluck. Enter Crudite (pronounced Croo-dee-tay). It’s one of my go to’s for entertaining and paired with Ina’s herb dip it’s always a hit!
What is crudite? Essentially it’s a fancy way of saying raw vegetables, cru in French means “raw”. So what’s so special about that? Can’t anyone just dumb some carrots on a plate and throw some ranch on the side? Technically speaking yes, but if you’re reading this chances are you’re interested in the “fancy”. So let’s get down on some crudite. What sets this apart is the herb dip I serve it with. It’ a a #triedandtrue recipe of Ina Gartens that I’ve made so often I practically have it memorized. However, for the sake of lightening things up I prefer to use non fat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. I love how easy it is to make too. You literally put everything in the bowl of your stand mixer and stir to combine. Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs too, their truly the star of the show!
Here’s a few other useful tips for serving crudite
- Choose the most attractive vegetables possible
- Serve vegetables that are crisp and well chilled
- Blanch heartier vegetables such as green beans, broccoli and cauliflower florets.
The blanching method used to prepare some of the veggies is a useful trick I learned in culinary school that I haven’t forgotten. It’s makes all the difference in the world when serving broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Simply bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add your vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then transfer to an ice bath (a bowl of water and ice). This immediately stops the cooking process and shocks the vegetables which in turn preserves their vibrant shade and prevents them from getting darker.
Ina's Herb Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ c non fat greek yogurt
- ½ c mayonnaise I like to use vegenaisse
- 4 scallions white and green parts, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- ENJOY!
ONE OF MY FAVORITES THAT YOU MAKE! yUM!