The summer is bountiful with zucchini and squash in the garden, so why not use them up?! This crudité platter with zucchini almond hummus has colorful fresh produce, garnished with some pretty summer flowers, makes it the perfectly healthy appetizer your guests are looking for! Serve it in a vintage teacup for some added flair! The best part is that you can prep it the night before, so no stress before your party starts!
What is a Crudité?
Crudité is a traditional French appetizer composed of raw vegetables that are typically sliced or whole accompanied by a dipping sauce. It is pronounced “krew-dee-tay.” Crudité is part of the hors d’oeuvre course, also known as a starter or appetizer in America. There are many ways to get creative with this!
How to Arrange a Crudité
Start with the fresh produce that is readily available. It will be on sale too! Leave the leaves on.
Think about color and shape first of all. A mix of long snap peas complements a rounder pink radish!
Pick a color a theme – colors that complement each other like shades of red and green or simply go for all bold colors for example.
Use whole veggies or simply julienne them so they are easy for dipping!
Arrange them around the dip, which is the star of the platter, fanning them out and directing the attention towards the center of the board.
Use a rustic cutting board. The best ones I have found are French, ordered from Etsy.
A Delicious Dip
The key to this zucchini almond hummus is to peel the almonds. While that may sound tedious, it makes the hummus a pretty color with out the bits of brown skin that you have to chew on. Let them soak for an hour or two. If you are in a rush, pour boiling water over them to speed things up. Did you know that by soaking almonds, you are removing the phytic acid so the nutrients can be absorbed? So definitely get into a habit of soaking those nuts!
Gently remove the skins and blend in the food processor. I like to leave a little bit chunky for some texture before adding in the rest of the ingredients. You can chill this overnight, and garnish with fresh flowers before serving.
The Garnishes...
Bee balm or wild bergamot is a beautiful quirky looking flower reminding me of something you would find in a Dr. Suess book. Hence the name, bees are very attracted to it, and it makes a wonderful addition to your garden. Being in the mint family, bee balm has a fragrance very similar to bergamot. Bergamot is the used to flavor earl grey tea, if you can imagine that flavor! The red flowers have more of a citrus flavor and the mauve flowers have a spicier flavor. That being said, pick off some petals and sprinkle on top of the dip. Otherwise, in my free edible flower guide, you can find some other colorful options for a garnish!
There you go! Now you have a guiltless, colorful appetizer with plenty of garnishes for your guests to feast on that you can prep the night before! Enjoy!
Crudité With Zucchini Almond Hummus
This zucchini almond hummus is the perfect healthy appetizer that you can make the night before your party! Garnish with edible flower petals like bee balm!
- Prep Time15 min
- Ready in2 hours
- Yield1 cup
For the burger
- 1/2 cup almonds soaked
- 1/2 cup peeled zucchini
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- Pinch of smoked paprika
Preparing the spices
Soak your almonds for a few hours in warm water. Meanwhile, peel and chop the zucchini.
Peel the skins off of the almonds.
In a food processor, blend the almonds, zucchini. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Cover and store in fridge for a few days until use. Garnish with bee balm petals or any other edible flowers you have!
Arrange a variety of colorful raw vegetables around the dip with the leaves on the outside. Either chop them julienne style, or keep them whole. Add little flowers like daisies or chamomile through out the board for a pretty touch!
