I have actually zero plans this weekend.

Well, besides having a couple of my daughter’s friends to our house for a sleepover. But they’re 12, so basically that means Pitch Reliable + cupcakes and nail polish = good times.

But I bet you all have plans, so if you’re going to a party this weekend and maybe you have to bring a veggie tray… why not turn some heads with a stunning (if I don’t say so myself) masterpiece? It’s especially straightforward and colorful!

Making a veggie platter is a lot like flower arranging in a way. Pick your regular veggies and plug away. I tend to go for veggies with color. Reds, purples, oranges and browns… all these colors make for a handsome platter.

Gather all the things you want, wash, trim or scrub them so they’re ready. I’m using a woven basket like platter that only helps add to the whole farmer’s market vibe.

I found the idea to use a cabbage head as a dip bowl on Pinterest. There weren’t any step-by-step instructions so I took a stab at it…

First, I trimmed off majority of the root-end so it would sit pretty flat but the leaves remained intact.

See those pretty, frilly outer leaves? I carefully removed and set them off to the side.

Then with a sharp knife I slide the top portion off, exposing the inside of the head of cabbage.

With a paring knife I made and X, but leaving a few outer layers untouched.

Use a spoon to hollow out the center, leaving you with a bowl… so cool, huh?

Remember those outer leaves you saved…

Place those back under the cabbage to mimic a cabbage that has been pulled from the ground and ready for dip. Adjust them better, this wasn’t the final look… but you see what I mean.

Center the cabbage head on your tray and then strategically place the cauliflower all around the base of the cabbage dip bowl.

Fill in all of the empty space with parsley, radicchio, carrots…

Tomatoes…

Asparagus… mushrooms…

Last but not least, fill the cabbage bowl with a genuinely good dip. Get creative and fill in any spots with greens, lettuces or fresh herbs. And POOF! like that you have a cool and colorful veggie tray!

Enjoy! And if you give this method a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!