# Garnish ideas?



## tsi88kid

hey guys heres whats up. I have to make a molded salad for a competion I am going to be in at the end of the month but it is just such a boring salad to me i need some garnish for it and I really cant think of anything creative that will put me over the top. Any input would be appreciated. thanks!


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## kitchenelf

First, what's in the salad - that might determine the garnish.


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## tsi88kid

small dice tomato, parsnip, cucumber, yellow and red pepper, red onion. I am waiting on a picture of it to arrive in my email I should have it up soon.


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## kitchenelf

OK, I will have to find a picture - but a friend did this whole big garnish thing with a carrot being the trunk of the palm tree - a green pepper cut out (but left whole) to be the leaves, etc.  I'll see if I can find anything like it on the internet to show you.


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## kitchenelf

Here's some verbiage - still looking for a picture.


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## tsi88kid

omg that is an amazing idea but there is only one problem I think the competion only allows me a quarter of each pepper.  but I would still like to see that anyway and if you have any more ideas.


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## kitchenelf

one picture  but not very close


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## tsi88kid

oh man that is awesome but i dont think it would work with my salad I need something sorta small you know. Like a peer of mine took the skin of the tomato and she mad flowers out of them but i dont want to copy her.


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## kitchenelf

I was going to suggest a tomato rose - ok, hold on.  I've got an idea.


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## tsi88kid

oh man im sorry im def denying every idea you have and i feel like a jerk but thanks for being patient with me.


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## kitchenelf

Here's some stuff to look at just for ideas - I was looking for a lemon flower - but I can't find one (not like the tomato rose flower where you peel the outside - this one is cut out and the middle has a cherry in it.


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## tsi88kid

hmm that could work if i can make it with something else because I only get the following ingredients.

1/2 cucumber
1/4 parsnip
1/4 Yellow pepper
1/4 red pepper
1 grape tomato
1/2 Red onion


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## kadesma

_Where do you plan to place your garnish? You could take several thin slices of your cuccumber unpeeled, cut almost all the way through, then twist on half one way the other the other way and make a cucumber curl..a few of these might help in garnishing your salad...If allowed on cherry or grape tomatoe will it be in or on your salad, a tiny tomato flower with cucmber curls as it's leaves might work._

_kadesma_


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## tsi88kid

it will be to the side of the salad cuz its a small diced molded salad held up by cucumber slices. but I will look up the cucumber curl online and see if its something i can do.


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## kitchenelf

I'm having trouble coming up with things - but I'm not done searching!

You could make a "basket" out of your yellow pepper and with a very sharp knife cut the grape tomatoes zig zag to make little flowers and fill the basket.


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## tsi88kid

yea see I'm supposed to use the whole 1/4 of each pepper for small dice but i think i might cheat it a lil bit and save some of the pieces to use


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## kitchenelf

Well now, that is a whole different story!  So, you can't use anything else!  I'd be tempted to make some cucumber fans for sure.


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## tsi88kid

i finally got a picture of it


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## kitchenelf

Take a look at this for a suggestion  You could use some peeling off of the cucumber as the stem - even if you had to cut the peppers to make a flower.


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## tsi88kid

That just might work! thank you for all the help both of you hopefully I will do well in the competion. I will be having another thread started probly tommorow on a plated dessert that i want imput on. Again thanks for the help


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## kitchenelf

Is everything going to be chopped up like that already?


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## tsi88kid

i have to do the chopping.i have an hour to make 2 of those salads and a french omlet.


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## kitchenelf

So, is that pepper flower an option with cucumber skin stem?  Even alternating colors?


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## tsi88kid

yes i think it is cuz i might peel the skin off the peppers and use that instead of using the the "meat" of the pepper along with the skin. Its deffinatly getting my ideas rolling.


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## kitchenelf

That's what this thread is all about - getting ideas rolling around in your head!

Good luck - you better take pictures and let us know what you do!


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## tsi88kid

most definatly btw kitchenelf I PMed you.


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## VeraBlue

Garnish should never detract from the actual food on the plate.  You want to see the food, not the garnish.  Be careful not to take the eye to the garnish.

Why not simply dust the plate with fresh chopped herbs?   Or do an even tinieer dice of the main components and simply rain a small, very small amount over the mould?


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## tsi88kid

I really like that dusting with herbs idea I am gonna do that I think. I will have some cilantro for the lime vinagrette so I will use that. Good call man


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## Robo410

always remember: if you can't eat it, don't put it on the plate.


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## jpmcgrew

What about not actually making the garnish but instead sprinkling some fresh edible  flowers around the bottom of salad if you can find them.If not mayby some red radichio leaves  to set salad on with just about 2-3 inches sticking out on the platter and a few sprigs of fresh herbs or parsley.
If your salad is already really  red you could use some beilgium endive or some other pretty curly type of lettuce.
Its all about using the right complimenting colors to showcase your creation but not going overboard and it turning out looking too busy or garish.


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## VeraBlue

tsi88kid said:
			
		

> I really like that dusting with herbs idea I am gonna do that I think. I will have some cilantro for the lime vinagrette so I will use that. Good call man


 
Man????

That lovely vampyre looks like a man to you????


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## ironchef

Vera kinda touched on it, and I don't have an exact picture to show you what I mean, but see how the dressing is drizzled in a ring around the salad? Do the same thing for your dish, except use individual pieces of micro greens or micro herbs and arrange them artfully on the ring of dressing.


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## tsi88kid

Hahaha I was on my sidekick and I was out in the cold during a firedrill for my school I didn't notice it was a girl sorry


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## VeraBlue

tsi88kid said:
			
		

> Hahaha I was on my sidekick and I was out in the cold during a firedrill for my school I didn't notice it was a girl sorry



Upon checking into your profile, I notice you are a mere 17 years of life....and just as I was about to take offense to the term 'girl'....


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## tsi88kid

oh because i said girl instead of woman


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## white_poplar

This is a simple garnish I made for my Green Tea Soba noodle salad: using Japanese pickled ginger and one of the main ingredient - Snow pea sprouts, I rolled the ginger slices to make a small rose - very easy. Take 1 min to dress up.







Here is how the whole thing looks:


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## Candocook

tsi88kid said:
			
		

> it will be to the side of the salad cuz its a small diced molded salad held up by cucumber slices. but I will look up the cucumber curl online and see if its something i can do.


 
What do you mean "molded" salad? I originally thought you meant a "congealed salad".

Ah, read on and I see what it is. Very nice. I think the tomato rose on top would be the answer--and maybe some very finely minced parsley or chives or something "scattered" around the plate to give a little something there--the way chefs garnish plates so they aren't so bare.


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## college_cook

You could deep fry some very long, thin strips of parsnip, they crisp up very nicely and curl, and they are easy to use to make a tall and very good looking garnish.  They are tasty too.


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## tsi88kid

im not sure if a deep fryer will be made available to me.


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