Simple Garnishes / Chef Charles Smith
The only limitation in garnishing is your imagination. Food only tastes as good as it looks. People eat with their eyes first.
Garnishes are meant to enhance the appearance of an item; not to cover it up. In this case, more is not always better.
When making Deviled eggs, use a crinkle cutter and pastry bag with a star tip(6B, 4B, or 2D) to fill them. Line the tray first with kale or loose leaf lettuce.
You can also use these same ideas for mashed potatoes. You can pipe a border around the edge. When using lemons, cut grooves into them before slicing. Or if using a half lemon, cut it with a jagged edge instead of flat.
Cut grooves into the sides of oranges and then slice and float them in fruit punch.
Hollow out a watermelon and cut a rounded zig zag edge and use it as a punch bowl. Cut a little off the bottom to stabilize it. Put kale, loose leaf lettuce or flowers around it. Freeze cherries, grapes, etc. in ice cubes and use them in the punch. Use hot water as this will freeze clear. Make a small batch of punch and freeze it and use it to cool the punch so that when it melts it wouldn't dilute the punch. If serving chicken or fish put loose leaf lettuce or Kale under it.
When making a tray (i.e. fruit, vegetable, cheese etc.) line the dish with kale or loose leaf lettuce first. Make a radish mouse and place it in the center of a cheese tray. Soften butter and place it in candy molds and put in
freezer till hard then pop them out and keep then in the refrigerator till ready to use. Hollow out an acorn squash or small pumpkin and use them to serve dips. Use peppers as a bowl to serve mustard, ketchup, etc.
If you are making stuffed celery use a star tip and pastry bag to fill them with peanut butter, cream cheese etc. Then serve them on a tray lined with kale.
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