HALLOWEEN VEGETABLE TRAY WITCH WITH HERB DIP

Halloween Vegetable Tray Witch with Herb Dip image

This cute-but slightly scary!-witch is easy to construct (no special tools needed) and sits in the center of a fun, healthy Halloween snack or appetizer. We've given some crudité options here to round out the platter, but feel free to use whatever raw vegetables you like. The creamy green dip can be made a day ahead.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories appetizer

Time 40m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 bunch thin asparagus, tough stems trimmed
4 ounces green beans, stem end trimmed
1 head broccoli, separated into small florets
2 thin slices radish
2 thin slices cherry tomato
2 very small baby spinach leaves
1 purple carrot, peeled
Handful microgreens or baby arugula
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced crosswise
1 thin crosswise slice baby bell pepper slice
Rainbow baby carrots, celery sticks, cauliflower florets or your favorite veggies, for dipping

Steps:

For the herb dip: Combine the spinach, parsley, scallions, dill, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the sour cream, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Process to make a smooth dip. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate while you make the veggie witch, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
For the vegetable witch: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and prepare an ice bath. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and simmer until bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool. Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry. Add the green beans to the boiling water and simmer until bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool. Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry.
Set a large cutting board or platter on the counter with the short side closest to you. Arrange the broccoli florets in an inverted triangle on the lower half of the cutting board to make the witch's face. Add the radish slices for eyes and top with the cherry tomato slices for eyeballs. Add a spinach leaf right above each eye for eyebrows. Cut a 2-inch length from the pointy end of the carrot for the nose then cut a thin slice from the remaining piece of carrot on the bias for the mouth and arrange both pieces on the face.
Arrange the green beans, pointy side down, on each side of the face for hair. Arrange the longest asparagus spears in a triangle shape at the top of the face for the witch's hat. Trim the remaining spears and arrange on the top left of the hat to make a crooked point for the hat.
Gather the microgreens or arugula at the top of the face for bangs. Arrange the cucumber slices horizontally over top to make the brim of the hat so the bangs stick out. Cut a thin lengthwise slice from the carrot and trim to make a band for the hat. Set the baby bell pepper slice in the middle to make a buckle.
Arrange the rainbow baby carrots, celery and cauliflower around the witch to fill in the platter. Serve with the dip.