How to Make the Springiest Crudité Plate Ever
Spring is officially here. Photo: thepumpernickel/Instagram
Vegetable plates are a necessity at meat-forward springtime barbecues — a light and refreshing oasis in a sea of hearty protein — but too often they’re thrown together and made to feel like the meal’s forgotten stepchild.
Things couldn’t be more different at New York City’s Boulud Sud, where chef Travis Swikard composes a crudité platter almost too gorgeous to eat. Almost.
The whimsy factor is high: Swikard’s dish is essentially a savory interpretation of “worms in dirt,” the childhood treat of gummy worms in a bed of crushed Oreos. Here, however, the bed is a fluffy base of whipped feta, spiked with lemon zest and dill then covered with dried kalamata olives (which are easily dehydrated in a microwave). Nestled in the “dirt” are the top portions of spring vegetables, many with their leaves still attached.
The tableau produces the illusion of a garden on a plate, which is as striking as it is delicious. Best of all, it’s a cinch to throw together. You’ll never forget the vegetable plate again.
Spring Vegetable Crudité
Serves 6 to 8
1 pound feta cheese (soft, medium salt)
8 ounces buttermilk
¼ cup chopped dill
Zest of 2 lemons
24 ounces kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Assortment of spring vegetables (I recommend radishes, sugar snap peas, asparagus, carrots, gem lettuce, fennel, and celery hearts.)
For the feta mousse: Whip the feta cheese in a stand mixer and slowly pour in the buttermilk. Allow to mix for about 30 seconds or until smooth, but still stiff.
Add dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer feta mousse mixture to a piping bag.
For the olive “dirt”: Lay the pitted, roughly chopped olives on a microwave-safe plate. Spread out in a thin layer. Microwave on high in 1 minute increments, stirring the olives after each minute. Repeat until completely dehydrated.
Assemble: Pipe a bed of feta mousse, about an inch, in a bowl or onto a plate. Sprinkle the olive dirt on top, making sure to completely cover the mousse. Carefully insert a mix of choice spring vegetables securely into the feta mousse and dirt, until only the top portion of the vegetables are exposed. For variety, some vegetables can be used with their greens still attached and placed on top of the dirt for garnish.
More veggie-forward recipes for spring:
Crispy roasted artichokes from ‘A Girl and Her Greens’
Sweet Paul’s honey-roasted carrots with red onion gremolata
A bright snap pea salad drizzled with a simple lemon dressing
Would you serve this vegetable plate at your next get together? Tell us below!
