Mixed-Bean Crudités with Cucumber Ranch Dressing

This fresh, healthy appetizer showcases five types of beans and peas.

Servings:

6

For this healthy appetizer, Martha uses five types of fresh beans and peas, sugar snap peas, snow peas, yellow wax beans, purple beans, and haricot vert as bean crudités. The beans and peas are briefly blanched, then transferred to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color. They are served with a refreshing cucumber ranch dressing for dipping. Martha presented the bean crudités in individual glasses, but you could arrange them on a board or platter if you prefer.

Crudités is a French word for raw or blanched vegetables served as hors d’oeuvres, often with a dip.

Directions

Bring water to boil and prep beans:

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt. Snap off the ends of all the beans, leaving the tail on if desired.
Cook beans and peas:

Cook beans and peas in separate batches, starting with the snow peas and ending with the haricots verts, 30 to 60 seconds.

When crisp tender, the beans and peas should bend without snapping but not be at all limp.
Remove beans and peas to ice-water bath:

Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into an ice-water bath to cool completely.
Drain, dry, and chill beans and peas:

Drain beans and peas in a colander, shaking to remove as much excess water as possible. Spread them on a clean kitchen towel and gently pat away remaining moisture. Loosely wrap vegetables in the towel and chill for up to 2 hours.
Grate cucumber for dressing:

Grate cucumber on the large holes of a box grater.
Combine ingredients for dressing:

In medium bowl, mix together cucumber shallot, sour cream, buttermilk, and mayonnaise. Add fresh lemon juice, salt, parsley, chives, and cayenne pepper. Season with more salt and cayenne, if desired.
Arrange vegetables and dip on platter:

Arrange vegetables on a platter and serve with dressing for dipping.