To make a radish mouse:
You'll need two fresh radishes. One radish should have a root
that
can double as the mouse's tail, and the greens should be clipped
close to the radish skin. Cut a thin slice off the round side
of the
radish so it will sit flat without rolling. The stem and the
root should
be opposite each other. With the tail at the back, hold the
radish
with the stem end facing you and for the eyes, place two small
cloves on either side and slightly above the stem point. For
the
ears, slice 1/4 inch off one end of the other radish and discard,
then
continue slicing to cut two thin slices that will have red skin
around
the white interior. On the radish with the tail, make a narrow
slit
about 1/4 inch deep above the clove eyes and place the two slices
in
the slit side by side to create the mouse ears.
To Make a hard-boiled egg bunny:
Remove a 1/4 inch thick slice off the side of a hard-boiled egg.
This
flat area on the egg will form the base for the body of the bunny.
Take the oval slice and cut it in half length-wise to make two ears.
Make a small slit on top of the pointed end of the egg-body and
squeeze gently to slightly open the slit. Carefully arrange
the two
ears in the opening. Whole cloves can be used to create the
eyes
and nose, and, if you like, attach a small cauliflower floret as
a tail.
To make a tomato rose:
Start with a large tomato placed bottom side up. For a teenager
or
an adult, carefully start cutting off a 1/2 inch wide continuous
strip of skin beginning at the bottom of the tomato and continue to cut
with a sawing motion, spiraling all the way around, ending at the stem
of the tomato. Carefully roll this long strip into a tight coil,
then let it open up slightly to create a beautiful rose-bud blossom.
Place your flower on top of your salad or serving platter. The remaining
peeled tomato can be sliced and mixed into your salad or other recipe.
To make green onion ferns:
Trim the tops off green onions leaving approximately 3 inches of
green and remove any roots. With a kitchen scissors, snip
lengthwise into the green tops to create a narrow ribbon strips.
Submerge the entire onion in a bowl of iced, cold water. After
a few
minutes the green strips will coil into delightful curly-q's.