Kim Kushner
Ready in 20 minutes
Serves 8 people
The concept for this dish was inspired by a crudités platter that was served to me at a beach in Italy. Italians just know how to make everything beautiful- especially when it comes to food. Try incorporating a few unpredictable vegetables for your crudités and present them in a natural, primitive style- stems and roots attached for added effect. Remember, we eat with our eyes first.
Ingredients
- 1 organic fennel bulb, untrimmed
- 1 bunch organic rainbow carrots, untrimmed
- 1 bunch organic radishes, untrimmed
- 4 celery stalks, untrimmed
- 4 mini seedless cucumbers, unpeeled
- 2 endives
- ice cubes
- 2 tablespoon high quality extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
Preparation
- Use a large chef’s knife to cut the fennel lengthwise into quarters, be sure to dispose of the thick outer layer of the fennel but keep the shaggy sprouts at the top attached.
- Rinse the carrots well under coldrunning water. Peel the carrots without removing the stems or the leaves and cut them in half lengthwise.
- Rinse the radishes well under cold running water. If the radishes are small, you can keep them whole. If they are larger in size, cut them in half lengthwise.
- Rinse the celery stalks under cold running water. Cut the celery stalk in half lengthwise, keeping the leaves intact.
- Rinse the cucumbers under cold running water. Cut off the stems and slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise.
- Peel apart the endive leaves from the base of the endive, until you reach the very center nub. Cut off the nub, and discard the rough base part. Use a damp paper towel to gently pat each of the endive leaves clean.
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Submerge the fennel, carrots, radishes, celery, and cucumbers into the ice water for 10-15 seconds. Remove the vegetables and scatter them in an organized fashion on a large platter or wooden board. Add the endive leaves. Cover the vegetables with cold, damp paper towels and keep refrigerated for up to 3 hours.
- Just before serving, grab a handful of ice cubes and scatter them over the vegetables. Sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, and drizzle the olive oil over.
Tips & Tools
- Most sliced vegetables can be washed and sliced up to 2 days in advance.
- Sliced fennel, carrots, radishes, and celery can each be stored in individual containers in the fridge.
- Adding a few ice cubes into the containers everyday will ensure the veggies stay nice and crisp.
- Cucumbers are best sliced just before serving.
- Endive leaves can be cleaned and wrapped in paper towels and stored in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for up to 2 days in advance.