For the Base:
1 large head of cabbage
For the bouquet:
1 bunch radishes
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
5 medium carrots
2 bunches green onions
2 C. broccoli florets
2 C. cauliflower florets
1 cucumber, sliced into rounds
1 pint cherry tomatoes
5 stalks celery with tops
1 small head endive
1 bunch chicory
1 bunch asparagus spears, blanched
1 box thin Italian breadsticks
bamboo skewers
1 large basket, 2 inches deep
Preparing the vegetables:
1. Cut of ends of each radish. Slice halfway doesn on four sides to form petals. Place in bowl of ice water.
2. Core bell peppers; cut into vertical leaf-shapped slices. Make tulips from carrots by slicing toward pointed end of carrot with tip of paring knife to form a petal. Do not cut through. Form two more petals around carrot. Angle knife tip to separate flower from rest of carrot.
3. Cut off bottom of the green onion stalks; reserve upper portions. Make close vertical slits, from cut end down to an inch from base. Place in ice water to frill.
Assembling the bouquet:
1. Trim skewers to various lengths. Place leftover green onion stalks over some skewers like sheaths.
2. Insert top of sheathed skewers into bottoms of all florets, pepper and cucumber slices, radish and carrot flowers, tomatoes, prepared green onions, celery stalks and endive and chicory leaves. Insert unsheathed skewers into asparagus spears and breadsticks.
3. Cut cabbage in half; place in bottom of basket. To form a pleasing rounded bouquet; insert ends of skewers into cabbage, balancing shapes and colors of vegetables. Place vegetables on shorter skewers along outer rim of basket.