Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter ♥

So festive, this entirely edible vegetable platter in the shape of a Christmas tree!

Everyone remember Kayla's Thanksgiving Vegetable Platter? Not to be outdone last year, Kayla's big sister Niki came home for Christmas break and designed a Christmas Vegetable Platter – Christmas Crudités, haha! Everyone oo'd and ah'd. Such creativity, these girls!

Over the next few weeks, many of us will be both host and guest. A Christmas Vegetable Platter is a gift to all! This tree is so simple and uses only familiar, easy-to-find and inexpensive fresh vegetables. Go ahead, let your holiday imagination run wild!

"RECIPE" for CHRISTMAS VEGETABLE PLATTER

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves a few to many

Broccoli florets, raw or blanched and very well-dried
Cauliflower florets, raw
Celery, raw
Green beans, raw if tender, otherwise blanched and very well-dried
Grape tomatoes
Orange bell pepper

Use a platter with gentle sides that will keep the vegetables from sliding off. Build the tree first with broccoli, then surround it with cauliflower. Use celery and green beans for the tree's base. "Decorate" with grape tomatoes and the bell pepper cut into a star shape.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
For a large group, you'll want quite a large platter because the vegetables stay in place better when kept quite shallow.
Consider blanching the vegetables the day before, allowing plenty of time to dry. If it's too late for that, just blanch the vegetables until slightly cooked in boiling salted water, then lift out of the hot water into a bowl of ice water. This "shocks" the vegetables, stops the cooking and helps preserve the vegetables' original bright color. As soon as they're cool, lift out of the ice water, drain in a colander. To fully dry, place a double layer of paper towels on a baking sheet and spread the vegetables on top. Place another double layer on top and gently press the vegetables to absorb water on the top. Wait for 15 or 20 minutes, then repeat if necessary.

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A Veggie Venture is home of 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
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