Vegetable Bouquet
- 1 head Cabbage
- 1 Orange Pepper
- 1 Yellow Pepper
- 7 Radishes
- 5 Mini Cucumbers
- 3 bunches Scallions
- 12 Mini Carrots
- 1 head Broccoli
- 1 head Cauliflower
- 1 bunch Asparagus
- 1 bunch Endive
- 1 box Bread Sticks, 3-4 Ounce Box
- 1 package Shish Kabob Skewers
- 1 Bowl/vase
- Note: See related blog link for photos of each step.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil while you work on the next steps.
- Also have 3 bowls of ice water prepared (one bowl can be relatively small).
- Cut cabbage in half.
- Place a cabbage half flat side down in the bottom of the bowl/vase.
- Arrange skewers pointed end down into the half cabbage.
- The skewers in the center should be the tallest.
- Cut the rest of the skewers so that they gradually become shorter in length.
- The skewers touching the rim of the container should be only about half the length of the center skewers.
- Once cut, pull the skewers out of the cabbage and turn them around sticking the cut end into cabbage so that now the pointed end is exposed.
- (The reason for this is that I had a very difficult time pushing the blunt end of the skewer into the cabbage without first piercing it with the pointed end.)
- Do not use the blunt cut end of the skewer to display the vegetables since there will be splinters in that end of the skewer once cut.
- To make leaves: Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers.
- Using a knife, slice heart shapes out of pepper flesh.
- Place leaf shapes into the large bowl of ice water to keep the fresh.
- To make radish flowers: Cut the top and bottom off all of the radishes.
- Using a knife make a zigzag cut all the way around the radish.
- Then gently separate the two pieces from one another.
- Place radish flowers in the large bowl of ice water to keep them fresh.
- To make cucumber flowers: Using knife, make a zigzag cut all the way around the diameter of the cucumber, an inch or two from the end.
- Do this at both ends of the cucumbers.
- Then gently separate the two pieces from one another, to create a flower shape.
- Place cucumber flowers in the large bowl of ice water to keep them fresh.
- For scallion flowers: Begin by cutting off the root end of the scallions.
- Then cut where the deep green part of the scallion starts.
- With a knife, slice remaining piece of scallion starting about 1/2 inch from where you cut off the root and continuing up all the way to other end of it.
- Continue turning and slicing the scallion all the way around.
- To encourage feathering, place these in a separate small bowl of ice water from all the other vegetables so the other vegetables do not pick up the onion taste.
- Keep the long green parts of the scallions separate.
- To make the carrot flowers: Using a knife cut a slit downward starting about one inch from one end, continue to move around the carrot cutting two additional slits downward towards the end.
- Once done, gently twist or snap the flower portion from the rest of the carrot.
- Place carrot flowers in the large bowl of ice water to keep fresh.
- To prepare broccoli and cauliflower: Cut the heads into bite sized florets.
- Cut each floret to fit pointed end of skewers.
- To prepare asparagus: Cut the tough ends off each spear of asparagus then put the asparagus into the pot of simmering water.
- Keep them in the water for 3-5 minutes or until bright green.
- Then quickly remove them from the water using a slotted spoon and put into a bowl of ice water.
- You are now ready to skewer the vegetables.
- Place the long deep green ends of the scallion over each skewer.
- Then place each individual vegetable on the pointed end of the skewer just above the scallion.
- After you have finished the skewers, fill in with endive.
- Immediately before serving add bread sticks to a handful of skewers, if you like.
- Serve with your favorite dip or dressing and crackers.
cabbage, orange pepper, yellow pepper, radishes, cucumbers, scallions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, endive, bread, kabob, vase
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/vegetable-bouquet/ (may not work)