Flowering Veggie Garnishes

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-1017 -- More Projects »
PHOTO

Make an apple swan like this one as a fun table decoration next time you have company.
Chef Edison Mays Jr. has beautiful ideas for turning fruit into gorgeous garnishes good enough to eat.

Apple Swan

Steps:


  1. Slice the curve off one side of an apple so it lies flat on the cutting board. Don't cut off too much from the body of the apple.
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  • Leave a center strip on the top of the apple and cut two wedges (see photo at right).

  • Slice off the third wedge, which will be used to form the neck. Use a very sharp knife to make the detailing of the fruit easy and precise.

  • Make the ends of the third wedge pointed by slicing off triangular pieces on each side of the wedge, on each end. (Just think of how you snip the end of a ribbon to make it pointed. Do the same thing with the apple.)

  • Make a hole at the front of the swan body in the center of the apple from which the third wedge came. Simply stick the point of the paring knife in where you want the hole to be, and turn the knife quickly, hollowing out a small hole.

  • Insert the neck into the hole you just made.

  • For the wings, take the two other wedges and cut a center wedge out of each and stagger them. Set each wedge on either side of the apple body.

  • For the tail, use the piece removed from the bottom of the apple.

  • Drizzle lemon juice over the pieces to keep them from turning brown.
    • PHOTO

    Roses made from thin apple slices sit prettily in a cut orange.
    Apple Rose

    Steps:


    1. Slice an apple extremely thin with a mandolin cutter. Wrap the slices around each other to form the rose shape.

    2. Cut an orange in half. Cut around the edge in a saw-tooth pattern.

    3. Cut the center out of the orange and insert the apple rose in it.

    4. Add chiffonade of kale for color if desired.
    PHOTO

    With strategic wedges removed, a lemon becomes a fragrant basket for strawberries.
    PHOTO

    This spectacular fruit garnish is made from a watermelon base with radish and orange flowers.
    Lemon Basket

    Steps:


    1. Cut a small wedge off the bottom of the lemon to keep it from rolling.

    2. On the top side of the lemon, cut two wedges, leaving a half-inch strip between that becomes the handle. Remove the fruit from under the handle.

    3. Push your thumb into the "meat" of the lemon to extract the juice to use for another project.

    Strawberry Roses

    Steps:


    1. Work with the strawberry pointed end up, with the green, leafy side on the cutting board.

    2. With a sharp knife, go around the berry, starting at the bottom, and make small slits.

    3. When you have three or four rows, cut out the center of the berry and spread the "petals."

    Tomato Roses

    Peel a tomato, taking the skin off in one long strip. Wrap the skin around itself in a spiral until it is the size you desire.

    Guests
    Edison Mays Jr.
    22286 Summitt Hill Dr.
    Lake Forest, CA 92630
    Phone: 949-855-9299
    Also in this Episode
    Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-1017
    •Flowering Veggie Garnishes
    •Organize Your Way to a New Wardrobe
    •Roll Yourself Thin
    •Smart Solution of the Day