Simple Vegetable Tray for a Party

So, recently, I posted about making a small vegetable tray for snacking on the weekend.

Here is a large Vegetable Tray, one which I made for a friend’s wedding.

My best Vegetable Tray

I have to say, I have arranged Vegetable Trays for over 20 years, some of them that covered an entire 5 foot table, covered in bright green lettuce with vegetables cascading down from the centerpiece.  Of all those, I think that this is my most favorite.  Simple, yet pleasing to the eye.

The upturned bowl (clear plastic) is actually a stand that later held the bowl of ranch dip.  You know, the kind with the sour cream.  No packaged dressing allowed!  When you put this much effort into a platter, you want the good stuff.

Also, this was a rather large tray, about 2 1/2 feet by 18 inches.  This was for a party of about 125 people.  No replenishing was needed.

I used:

• 5 pounds of carrots
• 1 head celery
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• about 1 1/2 heads green leaf lettuce to cover the bottom of the tray

Cauliflower and broccoli are in season, and I meant to use those as well, but forgot to buy the broccoli.  Oh well.

In order to create the cucumber “petals” that surround the tomato “center of the flower”, I used that clear, upturned plastic bowl to layer the first outside row of cucumber “petals”, at the same time supporting the cucumbers with the carrot sticks so they wouldn’t fall back.  Once the first ring of cucumbers was set, with the supporting carrots, I layered in the remaining cucumber slices (making sure that the green edge was visible for contrast), then dumped in the cherry tomatoes.

For most regular sized trays (mine was really large), one head of green or red-leafed lettuce is plenty.
Share your best vegetable tray?

Vegetable tray No. 2, October 2013 for the bride’s younger sister:

https://icookforleftovers.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/vegetable-tray-for-a-party-no-2/