Peacock Tail Vegetable Platter (Printable Version)

Crisp cucumber slices with juicy grapes and radish garnishes form a bright, elegant appetizer platter.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables & Fruit

01 - 2 large cucumbers
02 - 1 ½ cups seedless blue or black grapes
03 - 4 medium radishes

→ Garnish & Assembly

04 - Fresh parsley or dill sprigs (optional)
05 - 1 small carrot (optional)

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Thoroughly wash and dry all produce.
02 - Thinly slice cucumbers on a bias to create oval-shaped pieces.
03 - Cut radishes into thin rounds.
04 - Lay cucumber slices on a large serving platter in overlapping rows to form a broad, fanned tail shape.
05 - Place clusters of blue grapes evenly atop the cucumbers to create eye spots.
06 - Center a radish round on each grape cluster to imitate the peacock's eye pattern.
07 - Use carrot slices or strips to fashion a small beak and feet at the narrow end of the fan.
08 - Add fresh parsley or dill sprigs at the base of the tail for a feathered effect, if desired.
09 - Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes about 20 minutes but looks like you spent an hour in the kitchen, which is a massive confidence boost.
  • Everyone picks at it immediately because it's too beautiful not to taste, making you look like the most thoughtful host ever.
02 -
  • Timing is everything—arrange this right before serving because even crisp cucumbers will start to sweat and wilt after sitting for more than an hour, and you want that snap when people bite into it.
  • A really sharp knife changes everything; dull blades will crush the cucumbers instead of slicing them clean, and the whole visual falls apart when your slices look ragged.
03 -
  • A mandoline slicer will save you time and give you perfectly uniform cucumber slices, but only if you're comfortable with it, because mandolines and fingers don't mix well.
  • If your grapes keep rolling around, a tiny dot of hummus underneath each cluster will anchor them without anyone noticing, and your arrangement will stay exactly where you put it.
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