The appeal of dippers comes from the contrast in texture, like the crunch of baked bagel chips coated with a creamy hummus. With thick, chunky dips you'll need sturdy chips or veggies, while smooth, light spreads work perfectly with more delicate bites like lettuce leaves. To blanch vegetables, briefly plunge them into a large pot of boiling salted water, then refresh in a bowl of ice water and drain. Vegetables can be prepared a day in advance, wrapped in paper towels, and refrigerated in a lock-top plastic bag.
For Broccoli:
Cut into bite-size florets, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Blanch until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Bell Peppers
Cut red, yellow, or orange bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove the cores, seeds, and ribs. Slice into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
Celery
Trim tops and bottoms. Use a peeler to strip strings from the back of larger ribs. Cut ribs in half lengthwise, then into 3-inch-long strips.
Cucumber
Trim the ends, peel if desired, then cut them in half lengthwise or into rounds. If lengthwise, trim them into 3-inch-long strips.
Lettuce
Leaves from hearts of romaine and radicchio are nice, as are crunchy wedges of iceberg lettuce. Prepare just before serving.
Radishes
Buy bunched radishes with tops. Trim root ends; for a nice presentation, leave on about 1 inch of the green tops and some of the leaves.
Asparagus
Use asparagus that's thicker than a pencil, and trim the bases. Peel stems. Blanch until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Carrots
Use baby-cut carrots or medium carrots cut into 3-inch-long strips, or whole petite carrots with their tops. Blanch, if desired, about 2 minutes.
Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas
Trim stem ends of peas and remove string along the bottom. Blanch peas until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute.
Belgian Endive/Chicory
Trim the bases off the endives and carefully separate into leaves; rinse and pat dry.
Cherry Tomatoes
Use larger cherry tomatoes, as they are easier to pick up and dip. Leave any stems attached. Just before arranging the crudité platter, rinse, drain, and pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels. Never refrigerate tomatoes, as the flesh becomes mealy and the flavor diminishes.
Fennel Bulb
Cut off the fronds and stalks. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise, and use a paring knife to remove the core from each half. Cut the fennel into wide wedges, separating the layers.
Green/Spring Onions
Trim the root end, leaving the green onions whole, but trim some of the green tops so that the finished onions are about 4-inches long.
Jicama
Cut the jicama into quarters, if whole. Using a paring knife (not a vegetable peeler), peel the jicama by placing the blade just under the skin and then pulling the peel away in one whole piece. Cut the jicama into strips that are about 3-inches long and 1/2-inch thick.
Cauliflower
Remove all outer leaves and cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Blanch the cauliflower until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Green Beans
Trim the stem end only. Blanch the beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Bonus: Baked Tortilla Chips
