More food for a party!

Yes, I know, it is very hard to top savory bacon biscotti. It was the star of the baby shower but the other hors d'ouevres were a close second!

Here are a couple of the other easy and delicious hors d'ouevres:

• Fruit Salad tossed with lime curd and mint
• Cucumber and Radish Tea Sandwiches
• Individual crudites served in baguette slices with yogurt herb dip

 My hope is that you might try one or two and let them become an easy party staple.

Limey Fruit Salad
*Lime Sauce is enough for two large bowls of fruit
Any mix of cut fruit you like [I used canteloupe, peaches, nectarines and green grapes] 
1, 10 oz. jar of lime curd
Juice of 3 limes
2 T chopped, fresh mint

This simple sauce adds the perfect bit of acidity and sweetness to your fruit salad. I got a lot of compliments on this fruit salad!

Chop your fruit and try not to let a hungry toddler steal too many bites.

 
Mix the lime curd, lime juice and mint together.

About a half hour before serving, toss the fruit salad with the lime sauce. 

I divvied my limey fruit salad up into individual punch glasses so that the guests could grab and go!

*Party Trick: If you are in the habit of throwing parties and are tired of having to continuously explain the menu to your guests, go out and buy a couple of cheap picture frames with stands. Print the name of your dish on a photo-sized piece of paper, place in the frame and be free to mingle!

To the left of the fruit salad cups, I served my favorite go to shower food, cucumber and radish tea sandwiches. They are so dainty and freakishly delicious! There is something about the combo of salty and creamy butter with a nice crunch of vegetable on top.

Cucumber and Radish Tea Sandwiches
1 sliced loaf of your favorite wheat bread 
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced cross-wise [English cukes, the ones in the wrappers, are slightly more expensive but are SO worth it...you can use the whole cucumber without having an excess of seeds and skin that tastes like chemical-like wax].
1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced

Compound Butter
1 stick of butter, softened
1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Start by making the compound butter. [I made mine a week in advance, wrapped and froze it and let it defrost on the counter the day of the shower].

Place all compound butter ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with a spatula until well incorporated.

If using later that day, cover the bowl with plastic and leave on the counter to stay soft. If using in a few days, cut a length of plastic wrap about 1 foot long and spoon the butter into a log shape on the plastic wrap. Fold both side of the plastic wrap over the log and twist the ends to make a shape that looks like a butter Tootsie Roll. Pop in the freezer or fridge!

When it comes time to party, remove the crust from each slice of bread and then quarter the bread. 

Spread a little compound butter over each bread quarter and top with a cucumber slice or a couple of radishes. I kept my cukes and radishes separate but feel free to mix them up. 

And finally, totally inspired by Martha, I served individual crudite cups served in baguette slices. Martha's, of course, were prettier than mine [http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/227134/individual-crudites]. I did make them my own by making a Greek yogurt based dip. 

Individual Crudite Cups in Baguette Slices
2 baguettes
Your favorite assortment of veggies [I used carrot sticks, celery and snow peas].
Approximately 2 cups of your favorite dip, feel free to make your own or go store-bought

Kristi's Yogurt and Herb Dip for Veggies
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
1 T chopped, fresh dill
1 T chopped, fresh parsley

Mix all dip ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Slice the baguette into 2 inch slices. Hollow out half of the baguette slice by pressing the soft inside against the walls of the baguette [we tried cutting or scooping out the insides and ended up with gaping holes in the bottom of our slices].

Fill the hole with a dollop of the dip and then place vegetable sticks in the dip.

You now have a much sassier and more appealing option to a standard vegetable tray. No guest ends up with a half-eaten scoop of dip on their plate and everyone gets to enjoy a delicious baguette slice with dip once the veggies are gone!