Welcome to StartCooking.com.

I'm Kathy Maister.

A vegetable and dip platter is perfect for a party.

The vegetables are the healthy part and the dip is the decadent splurge.

Check my blog for different dip recipes.

Today, we're going to use hummus for dipping the vegetables.

It's a dip made from chickpeas, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.

You can buy it ready made at the grocery store.

It's often found right next to the salsa.

Choose vegetables you like in any combination.

Be sure to wash all the vegetables before cutting them.

The peppers need to be cut and the seeds and stem needs to be removed.

Cut the peppers into strips about the same size. Not too big, we don't want any double dipping.

The different colored peppers actually have very distinct flavors. The red ones are the sweetest.

We need to cut off the ends and peel the carrots. Always push the peeler away from you. Otherwise you may be

peeling the skin off your knuckles as well. Now cut them into about two inch pieces.

These are still a bit too big so let's cut them into strips. Celery either comes as a big bunch

or as celery hearts. Either way you have to wash it and trim the ends. Then cut it

about the same size as the carrot sticks.

To store the celery, you could leave it in the plastic bag that it came in or wrap it in tin foil.

It should last about two weeks in the fridge.

Don't wash carrots or a celery until you're ready to use them.

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