Crudities--or as we call them, veggies

This picture was on Judy's Stew last night, so some of you may think I'm getting lazy and repeating myself. But I am pretty proud of this cruditie tray, especially using bell peppers as cups to hold some veggies. (I really don't like bell peppers and sent the empty shells home with a neighbor at the end of the party.) That's roasted tomatillo salsa in the foreground, for dipping, and I also had ranch dressing--fresh from Central Market, not the bottled variety.

But cruditie trays often leave you a probleem with leftovers--what to do? Here's what I did: took a quart-sized glass jar with a good rubber ring and tight fitting lid and layered it with broccoli, cauliflower, baby corn (not on the crudities tray) and baby carrots, sprinkling each layer with oregano and thyme. When I got the jar full, I added some peppercorns, a good bit of cut garlic, and a couple of bay leaves. Covered it all with olive oil--it takes an amazing amount to seep between the veggies and fill the jar, so I used Central Market's inexpensive organic house brand. The jar is in the refrigerator "aging" or "seasoning." I plan to serve it next Saturday night to company. What I'll do is drain it (it will have to come out of the fridge a couple of hours early so the olive oil will un-congeal--not a word, I know). Then I'll spread it on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and red wine vinegar. Serve with toothpicks, lots of napkins (those veggies will be greasy), and small plastic plates.

Can't report on the success of this until next week, but the jar sure looks pretty. In a way, I'm sorry to have to drain it.