Freshen up your next cocktail party with ... vegetables? Cucumbers and mini peppers are an innovative way to serve everything from gin to flavoured vodkas to Bloody Mary shots. To prepare the cucumber cups, cut a section approximately 2 inches high from an English cucumber and use a melon baller to scoop out an indent no more than 1 1/2 inches deep. Fill with gin, a great match for the cool cucumber flavour. For the pepper cups, gently remove the green stem from the pepper and place top side down. Cut off approximately 3/4 of an inch from what is now the top and remove all the seeds from the inside. Fill with chilli vodka or Bloody Mary and garnish with a chilli pepper or lime. For extra kick, rim the peppers with a mixture of coarse salt and chilli flakes before filling. Crunch!
Chef Michael Tong is the owner of Toronto’s Sublime Catering.
