Crudite Platter with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• as needed
• 1 broccoli stalk
• trimmed into florets
• about 3 cups
• 8 ounces asparagus
• stalks peeled
• woody ends trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper
• seeded
• and cut into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• seeded
• and cut strips
• 1 bunch radishes (with greens attached)
• 2 kirby cucumbers
• cut into spears

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice water and salt that as well.
3. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
4. Scoop them out of the water and immediately plunge the broccoli into the ice water; this stops their cooking and sets their color.
5. Cool, remove them from the ice water, and pat dry.
6. Repeat with the asparagus, cooking 1 to 2 minutes depending on how thick they are.
7. Arrange all the vegetables on a large serving platter and serve with the chipotle dip.
8. 2 cloves garlic
9. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10. 1/3 cup mayonnaise
11. 2 tablespoons buttermilk
12. 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
13. 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
14. 1 scallion (white and green parts), very thinly sliced
15. 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
16. For the dressing: Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste.
17. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing.