Crudite with 3 Dipping Sauces, From Mace, NYC

Hitting the top 50 cocktail bars in the world, according to the Top 50 website is always fun. While visiting NYC, we decided to hit the list and ended up at Mace in the East Village. If the cocktails were as good as the colorful hand drawn menus then we knew we were in for a treat. What we did not expect was equally delightful, colorful and inventive appetizers. Here is their crudite appetizer served with 3 dips. An anchovy dip (basically a Caesar dressing) an avocado dip (a smooth guacamole) and a chili dip (which we used a jarred, prepared dip). You can certainly vary your vegetables according to your liking or what you have available. While Watermelon radishes are gaining popularity and more readily available in stores such as Whole Foods, you may substitute other radishes, or raw, sliced beets. You may also buy Giardiniera in a jar and use those as your pickled vegetables instead of making them yourself. Pickles carrots and beans are also very popular in jars and you may use them instead of making them, however, a recipe to pickle your vegetables is below if you choose to go the homemade route. Guacamole can also be pre-bought, but it isn’t as good as fresh which is so easy to make.

Prep Time: Varies depending on whether you purchase remade ingredients or make everything from scratch.

Ingredients for Crudite:

Watermelon Radishes (may substitute raw beets, sliced thin)

Celery Sticks with leaves left intact

Whole Romaine leaves, separated from the head

Cucumbers, sliced thin

Tri-Color Carrots, sliced thin lengthwise

Pickled purple cauliflower

Pickled, whole, small shallots

Jicama, peeled and sliced into fingers

Optional:

Olives

Pickled green beans

Raw, red pepper strips

1 Terracotta pot with a large open mouth

Parchment Paper

Crushed Ice

Pickled Purple Cauliflower, Pickled Carrots and Pickled Baby Shallot Ingredients:

1 head purple cauliflower, divided into small florets

12-15 small whole, shallots, peeled

6-8 Tri-color carrots, sliced thin, lengthwise

These are all to be pickled separately 3 separate jars in the same brine. If only pickling one vegetable, then divide the brine by 3

Brine ingredients:

9 cups water

4 1/2 cup vinegar

6 tsp salt

9 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs black peppercorns

9 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced in half

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

3 large mason jars, sterilized in dishwasher

Directions for Pickled Vegetables:

1. Fill one jar with cauliflower, 1 jar with the sliced carrots and 1 jar with the shallots.

2. Add all of the brine ingredients to a medium pot. Stir over low heat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure that the sugar dissolves.

3. Let sit and cool about 15 minutes.

4. Place the cauliflower in a jar, the shallots in their own jar and the carrots in the third jar.

5. Pour the brine over the vegetables in each jar.

6. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours

7. The pickled vegetables may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Guacamole Recipe:

Guacamole Ingredients:

3 small Hass avocado or 1 1/2 large Florida avocado

3 Tbs chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

Directions for First Dip, Guacamole:

1. Chop the avocados, mash with fork

2. Add the lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper

3. Cover with plastic wrap pressed into the guacamole, do not make in advance. Make a maximum of 2 hours before.

Second Dip, Anchovy Dipping Sauce:

Anchovy Sauce ingredients:

2 anchovy fillets, chopped fine

(substitute 1 ½ Tbs diced capers for a vegan alternative)

1 clove garlic, minced

6 Tbs olive oil

3 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions Anchovy dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients

2. Use hand blender to emulsify

Third Dip:

Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch

Directions:

Line a Terracotta pot with a wide open mouth with parchment paper. Fill with crushed ice. Stick celery sticks and Romaine lettuce in back to frame vegetables. Arrange vegetables. Use a Watermelon Radish stuck in a celery stick to resemble a flower. Or use a thinly sliced fresh, raw beet slice. Serve with the three dipping sauces. Serve immediately.