Dips Info (7 Of 9) Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

1 more information on dips fol
1 (this is part 7 of 9)

Vegetables follow:
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* VEGETABLES *
************** The crudite craze of the 1970's
awakened Americans to the hidden potential of vegetables. No longer
overcooked, soggy, and tasteless, vegetables are now enjoyed
raw--crisp flavorful, and in their most nutritious form--or lightly
steamed, dipped in a variety of yummy accompaniments.
Firm varieties, such as carrot sticks, celery stalks, or flowerets of
cauliflower and broccoli, will stand up to even the densest of dips.
Some of the smaller veggies, such as cherry tomatoes or Brussels
sprouts may require utensils (such as toothpicks or mini skewers) to
spear the dipper, lest you risk its lost at sea in the dip bowl.
Always remember to wash the vegetables firs, dry them thoroughly and
chill. To chill, wrap the veggies in damp paper towels, place in an
unsealed plastic bag and set in the refrigerator overnight.
Following are the prepping instruction for some favorite veggie
dippers.
ASPARAGUS: Break off the tough woody end at the base of each spear.
ARTICHOKE: Cut the stem flush with the base and clip the sharp
point at the tip of each leaf with scissors. Steam for 45 minutes or
until fork tender. After cooling, cut in half vertically and remove
the fuzzy choke ( a grapefruit spoon works best). Serve halves cut
side down so that the leaves can be pulled off easily.
BOK CHOY: Separate leaves, discarding any yellow or very dark green
parts.
BROCCOLI: Cut off the stalk and remove the leaves. Cut into
flowerets.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Remove the tough outer leaves and trim the
bottoms, as you would for cooking. Let soak a few minutes in cold
water to crisp. Serve whole or halved, depending on size.
CARROTS: Peel or scrub (remember that the greatest vitamin content
is in the skin), trim ends and cut in half horizontally then cut
vertically into strips. Carrots can also be cut horizontally into
circles or small chunks.
CABBAGE: Remove outer leaves and stalk then cut into strips thick
enough to hold together, retaining a piece of the core with each
wedge.
CAULIFLOWER: Remove the outer leaves and stalk and cut into
flowerets.
CELERY: Trim off the leaves and cut into strips or wedges.
CELERY ROOT: Trim the top and cut the root, which is shaped
something like a turnip, into strips or wedges, then peel.
CHICORY OR BELGIAN ENDIVE: Not to be confused with the curly or
leafy green variety. Has a slightly bitter flavor. Cut into thin
strips or dipping size wedges.
CHILI PEPPERS: Including jalapeno peppers. Cut in half lengthwise
and carefully remove the seeds. Rinse under cold water and cut into
strips. Remember that this stuff has quite a kick--wear rubber gloves
when prepping and be sure to forewarn your guests.
CORN: Serve individual ears of pickled baby corn. (It's ok to eat
the cobs.) CUCUMBER: Trim ends and peel, if desired then cut in half
horizontally. Cut into thin strips. Or cut the cucumber
horizontally into rounds.
FENNEL: Trim off and discard the wispy fernlike leaves at the top
and ends. Cut into thin dipping size strips. Has a pleasant
aniselike flavor.
GREEN ONIONS OR SCALLIONS: Peel off the outer layer and cut the tip
off the root end. Trim the green ends.
JICAMA: Remove ends, peel, and slice thinly.
MUSHROOMS: Trim off the stump end and wipe clean with a damp paper
towel or a mushroom brush. Do not soak in water. Use whole or halved
depending on the size.
PEPPERS: Seed and slice green, red, yellow, or purple bell peppers
into strips. Can also be cut into wider scooplike wedges. The
combination of two or three of the varieties makes an attractive mix.
RADISHES: Trim off the root and stem ends. Sculpt to your heart's
content if you're so inclined, after soaking the radishes in ice
water to crisp for a couple of hours.
SNOW PEAS: Simply trim off both ends and remove the strings.
SQUASH: Yellow or green varieties of Zucchini. Trim off top and
bottom and cut into dipping size strips, circles, or wedges.
STRING BEANS: Use either green beans or wax beans, or both to add
color. Snap off the ends of the beans and remove the strings.
TOMATOES: Use whole cherry tomatoes or wedges of plum or round
tomatoes.
TURNIPS: Cut off the top and root ends of a young turnip, peel or
scrub, and cut into thin slices (like a carrot).

Servings: 1

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