Parisienne Bistro Crudité Plate

Name: Parisienne Bistro Crudité Plate
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 bunch baby beets (6 or 7), or 1 bunch regular beets (3 or 4); Olive oil, as needed; Dressing; 1 medium shallot, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Salt and pepper, to taste; 1 medium shallot, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or pear vinegar; 3 tablespoons olive oil, pure or extra-virgin; Salt and pepper, to taste; 1/2 cup Basic Mayonnaise (p. 181); 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 cups grated or matchsticked celery root (see p. 105); Salt and pepper; 2 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) grated carrots; 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons walnut oil; Salt, to taste; 1 medium or 2 small cucumbers, peeled; 1/2 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Texas 1015; 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (low-fat is fine, but don’t use nonfat); Dill sprigs, snipped; White wine vinegar, to taste; Salt and pepper

December 14, 2011

My initial exposure to French cuisine was during my first trip to Europe. It was long before I would eat in any three-star restaurants, and that exposure—the best I could have asked for—came from sitting in cafés. I was a wide-eyed twenty-three-year-old (and I was told by a waiter not to practice my high school French on him). I remember beautiful, colorful plates of vegetables going past me. I soon learned it was the classic French presentation of crudités, an assortment of three or four salads served together. It was fresh, affordable, and very appetizing, and it was served all over the city. Once in a while I’ll run this as a special in my restaurant; then I’ll forget about it until I crave it again. Any one of these salads can stand on its own, but if you put them all together they make for an extraordinary meal. Marinated Lentil Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese and Ripe Tomatoes (p. 113) would be a welcome addition to the mix.

Cooks' Note

All these salads can be prepped several hours in advance. In the spirit of Paris bistros, serve with a crusty baguette and a chilled glass of Provençale rosé.

Recipe notes