Crudités With Spiced Yogurt

All my dinner parties start with an assortment of fresh, crunchy crudités and some sort of dip. (Crudités are raw vegetables, sliced or whole.) They are zero-stress items that can be prepared in advance (or bought at the store!), artfully arranged on a platter, and laid out for guests to snack on as they gather.

As the weather turns cooler and we head into the holiday season, I love doing more monochromatic boards — focusing on whites and pale greens — using whatever looks great at the market. I recommend varying the shapes and sizes, and throwing in a couple of your favorite pickled vegetables to offer a flavor and texture contrast. I prep my crudités into a bowl of ice water to keep them extra crunchy. Drain and dry when ready to use.

SERVES 6 8

AS AN APPETIZER

1½ Cups Greek yogurt or

labneh

1 Clove garlic, crushed to

a paste with salt

½ Teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

½ Teaspoon cumin seeds,

toasted and ground

1 Tablespoon freshly

chopped mint

1 Scallion, ends trimmed

and sliced

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

Juice of ½ lemon

Kosher salt

Flaky sea salt, to serve

Your favorite pickled vegetables (I love cauliflower, green beans, or beets.)

SUGGESTED VEGETABLES FOR CRUDITÉS

Celery stalks, peeled and cut on the bias into ½-inch spears

Green beans, trimmed and blanched

Cucumber, cut into ½-inch spears

Fennel, cut into ½-inch slices

Radish, cut into quarters, green tops left intact

Endive, trimmed and cut into quarters lengthwise

● In a food processor or medium bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, coriander, cumin, mint, and scallion. Blend until combined. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Taste and season with kosher salt as desired. If the dip needs some thinning out, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep chilled.

● Arrange the vegetables and pickles on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with some flaky sea salt. Serve alongside the dip.