Trays
Christmas tree veggie tray
Prep time
40 minutes Total time
Portion size Makes 1 tree
Ingredients
4 large heads broccoli
1 large carrot
1 sweet yellow pepper
2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
450 g your favourite cheese
1 bunch fresh chives
Preparation
Kids especially love this colourful vegetable tree served with our foolproof 5-ingredient Roasted Garlic Dip.
Separate the broccoli into florets and blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds, then chill in ice water. Drain and arrange in tree shape on serving platter.
Cut carrot into scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices; using sharp paring knife, cut carrot slices and yellow pepper into festive shapes to decorate the tree. (Make extras – kids love the fun shapes, so they go fast.)
Tuck cherry tomatoes among broccoli florets to adorn with ball ornaments.
Cut cheese into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. In saucepan of boiling lightly salted water, blanch chives for 5 seconds; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and pat dry with paper towel; wrap around cheese, tying knot on top. (Make plenty of these since they're deliciously addictive.)
Joy veggie tray
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Radishes
Cherry tomatoes
Yellow bell pepper
Dip
Directions: Place your dip bowl on the plate first, then build the veggies around it. A smaller bowl is best, unless you have a really large tray.
Next, make the outline of the letters. Fill in the rest of the veggies around the letters. Cut your veggies a little smaller than usual so they are easier to place on the tray and fill in any tiny spots. Make a double layer of the letters so they don’t get lost under the surrounding broccoli!
To make the stars, simply use a star-shaped cutter on a yellow bell pepper.