• Button mushrooms: Clean.
• Green beans: Follow asparagus instructions,
increasing cooking time slightly.
• Scallion flowers: Cut off all but 2 inches of
the green of each scallion. Trim and then slice
the white root end numerous times. Put in
refrigerated ice water to “bloom.”
• Turnip flowers: Same as jicama. Bag and refrigerate. CARROT FLOWERS: Starting
• Scallion greens: Cut to same length as skewers. about 2 inches from the top,
• Rosemary branches, parsley and kale leaves. make
4 evenly spaced
vertical cuts in toward the
Directions center. The individual cuts
Prepare the flower container by positioning the should meet at the center
of the carrot. Give a quick
floral oasis in the middle of the dish and securing twist and break off.
with the oasis tape. If necessary, fill the rest of the
container with small, clean rocks to act as ballast.
Place on the buffet. Create stems by inserting a
wooden skewer down through the center of a
scallion green. Bag and refrigerate.
Before the Party
Place one or more of the prepared “flower”
vegetables onto the pointed end of each skewer
stem. Stick the flat end of the skewer into the oasis
container. Continue to create flowers until you
have a beautiful bouquet of individual skewers.
Stuff rosemary branches, parsley or kale in and
around the oasis to cover. Serve with dipping
sauces and toasted pita bread.
JICAMA FLOWERS: Peel and
slice into 1/4-inch disks.
Use a cookie-cutter to make
a flat flower.
Pat’s Tips
• Make the centerpiece crazy and whimsical. For
example, take a flat jicama flower and top it
with an olive to make a “black-eyed” Susan, or
punch 3 thin green beans through the flat face
of a cucumber flower to resemble stamens.
• Be sure to provide a tray for used scallion skewers.
SCALLION STEMS: Create stems
by inserting a wooden skewer
down through the center of
a scallion green.
