Friday, September 30, 2011

Any Occasion Gift - Veggie Bouquet


The nice thing about bouquets, whether floral, fruit, for food they can speak all languages and phrases...Thank you, I'm sorry, Miss you, etc. I may feel differently about fruit bouquets at some point, but as of now I just do not like them as a gift. As you know, if you read this blog, I adore flowers, but not everyone sees them as a necessity as I do. However, I was thinking what if the bouquet was more substantial...something that the bouquet recipient could actually make a meal or a side dish (or two) from. Sure you could incorporate fruit, but really who...a single family, not a cruise ship full of people...is going to eat a whole bouquet of just fruit before it goes bad? I go on fruit kicks, but this would not work in my house, so I created something that would. 

You will need: 

  • A bundle of asparagus 
  • Cilantro sprigs 
  • Red lettuce 
  • Carrots 
  • Rubber band 
  • Raffia 
  • Grapes (optional) 

The idea is to incorporate as much color as possible while using as many vegetables that will coordinate into a meal. These ingredients are not set in stone, but they do make a nice salad. Substitute them however you would like. Just make sure you are making it visually appealing. You want to create layers, complimentary colors and height differences, and of course the obvious goal is to make it look as pretty as a bouquet of flowers. 

Bundle the the cilantro, lettuce and carrots with a rubber band. Lay the cutting of raffia on a clean surface. Align the asparagus over the raffia. You may need a second set of hands to roll the bundled vegetables into the center of the asparagus row. Use the raffia to bind the vegetables together into a bouquet. 

Add a small bunch of grapes tied beneath the raffia if possible. Another nice touch would be including a recipe card for a dish made from your chosen ingredients. 
Voila! A bouquet for any occasion.

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