Guidelines for Crudités

I agree with Kaun in regards to wieght per person. I also do S/M/L baskets.

Try Jicama
Endive petals
iceacal radish
easter radish
turned baby artichikes
fennel
sweet cipollini onions
cardoons
salsify
purple kolrabi
baby yellow and candy strip beets (don't bleed)
sugar snap peas
blanched/grilled fingerlings
crispy cucumbers
stuffed squash blossoms

I'll try to think of some more.
Be as creative as you can be,and don't be bound by traditional crudites.Some fruits like apple/pears are tangy and sweet and some cooked marinated items are fine as well.
cc

 

I'm not trying to be negative, just honest. In my experience you'll be wasting your money putting using other more "modern" veg.s unless your feeding a "foodie" group.

Whether you like it or not: califlower, broc., carrots, celery, cherry tomatos are really the only items that ever get EATEN. You wind up throwing the left overs into stock, not filling up their stomachs has you might need and recieving requests for the old standards.

Why not save the money and give the people what they want?!

YES, by all means give them baby veg. and the "newer contempory" veg.s but use them as garnish or highlights to you arrangement. If they don't know what it is, they aren't going to eat it. Your job as a caterer is to please your clients, not to educate them (unless it's asked for). There are wonderful garnishes and ways to arrange crudite to add interest and bring them into a contempory look.

My two cents.......and years of experience.

 

Hi Anneke!
I was thinking about a different style of serving this cruditees,here in Argentina,i serve ,15 or 20 grm. per person aprox.
What do you think about serving like vegetable raw juices ?? It's this madness.
or you can make like vegetable's foam in the whipped cream machine.About the vegetables,it's difficult may be you can mixit with some fruits like eggplant and apples.
Thanks and bye!!
Hasta luego!

 

W.Debord,
You make a good point,But I do find that Thinking alittle out of the box can create positive results.I do agree with using certian veggies as a focal point and as a garnish. I think the old school of Crudites has to go out the window.As Chefs and foodies we can enjoy creating interesting vegetable apps that can be more interesting and appealing that the basic raw veggie basket.The basic purpose of a crudite is to get the palette going and stave off a little hunger pang until dinner is served.Maybe we can come up with a new name.
cc

 

Is it Chicago, Pete? I don't know...when I attend parties the ladies who are the big crudite eaters for the most part don't even use dip. They want something with the least amount of calories (and something that won't give them bad breath), period.

It's rare to see anyone give crudites some real effort in presentation though....most of what I've seen looks like a child threw it on the platter. Usually the chef pays the least attention to this item and puts the least experienced guy on it. To me lumping together a bunch of reg. veg. with a couple baby artichokes or blanched fingerlings is fine but lets not pretend that it's anymore sophisticated then it is. It's like throwing some champangne grapes on a cheese platter.

I used to make a couple items that were "showie"...to give the ladies something to talk about (like butterflie carrots or I'd make a parrot out of a zuc. and peppers and attach it to the side of the dip bowl or carrot flowers, etc...). Dye a few skewers green (to represent stems) and use cookie cutters to make flowers out of veg. then attach them to the handles of your baskets with wire or twist ties or stick them into a cabage dip container....what you think of as cliche' can be done with style, I guess it's up to the person making it. My words can't convey my thoughts....two of us could stand together and make the same thing but there would be differences in style and presentation stemming from each persons abilities and efforts given to the project.

Working with a limited color palate can make a VERY VERY striking arrangement!!!

Anyway, Anneke you could have gone to your local grocery store to find your answers. They still have scales in the produce section (even though they don't get used much anymore). Just ask your-self how much YOU would eat before dinner. Stick something resembling that on their scale.....same thing with cheese, eye ball the packages of shedded cheese most of them are 8 oz. packages and they look like about 1 1/2 to 2 c. finely shredded, to me.

 

Hi every body! can someone reply me ,am i mad in what a propose about serving vegetables juices and vegetables foam??,instead of serving the classical,boring standard of cruditees.Think about "Gazpacho",or other kind of mixed vegetable juices.
Thanks guys.
Hasta luego!

 

I can't see how you'd use veg. juices in a catering situation except set out with a continental breakfast. Health clubs and juice bars would be the places I can think of that would carry veg. juices or try foams. Every sale depends on the type of clients you have.

It's not something the average person is going to purchase.

 

Yep I agree.....I do alot of buffets and always try to include a large veg platter/basket etc....I try to include a few lesser used veggies for those that would appreciate them and to give a more aesthetic appearance. Baby artichoke hearts in season are a great addition, fennel rarely eaten but beautiful, French radishes pretty....
I do alot of grilled veggie platters during summer and fall on the main dinner menus.

 

Perhaps if we were served more interesting veggies more often, we would start eating them. Personally, my favorite is lightly blanched asparagus with mint yogurt sauce. Grilled endive is nice. And I like artichoke hearts also. I will run right past the "usual" veggie tray if there is something new and interesting out. Challenge us! Okay, have some baby carrots, but bring on new and exciting tastes too! How about marinated mushrooms? Zuke flowers? There are just so many wonderful fruits and veggies out there!