Crudité is one of the most popular appetizers in France. Platters often include celery, carrot, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus, and are served with a tart vinaigrette or creamy dip. Crudités are all about the presentation – so choose your nicest platter and feature a variety of seasonal vegetables.

8 to 10 servings

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a generous amount of salt. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and add a palmful of salt to keep it from melting. Drop the beans into the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and drop immediately into the ice bath to stop cooking. Remove and pat dry. Repeat with broccoli and asparagus. The remaining ingredients are kept raw.

For the curried yogurt dip, whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Using a large platter, arrange the vegetables and serve with the dip on the side.