This is so old school, but . . . . cut your radishes into little "roses." It's so easy. (I made thousands of these as a teenager, as I was my mother's sous chef and we served crudites at every single party, and my job was cutting and arranging. Be sure to put them in ice water after you make the cuts. This helps the flower "bloom". Another idea is to include both green and good black (Greek, preferably, and under no circumstances from a can) olives. Finally, arrange them on the platter into a pattern, so that it's visually more interesting. So, for example, if you're using a rectangular dish, set rows of the crudities in diagonal stripes instead of up and down, filling in the upper left and far right corners with something (like radish roses) that look nice in little piles. Also, marinated artichoke hearts would be a nice addition. Have fun!! ;o)
If they're available where you are, a few hard-boiled quail eggs in their shells is a festive addition. They're easy--put them in cool water, bring it to a boil, then cool the eggs in ice water.
I have to agree with Megan and Lori with the baugna cauda or you could turn your crudite in to a foil for Dorie Greenspan's pumpkin filled with everything good. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Stuffed-with-Everything-Good-361169
Megan's baugna cauda reference is a good one--before you vary too much from your "assigned" dish--assuming you aren't related to Marney from the Awkward Family (http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/11/26/awkward-family-story-the-thanksgiving-letter/
--sorry to keep referencing this--it just makes me laugh so hard!)
But another type of crudite platter could be a really nice antipasti platter with cheeses, salami roses, marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, zuchinni and squash rounds or sticks. I also have an easy baugna cauda recipe posted.
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--sorry to keep referencing this--it just makes me laugh so hard!)
But another type of crudite platter could be a really nice antipasti platter with cheeses, salami roses, marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, zuchinni and squash rounds or sticks. I also have an easy baugna cauda recipe posted.