In my humble opinion, no party is complete without the requisite veggie tray. A “crudites platter” sounds much more sophisticated though, don’t you think? You can use any vegetables, depending on the season. I like to go to the farmer’s market and see what looks best and build my platter from there. The colors are so vibrant and the roasted red pepper dip is the perfect accompaniment. If you have any vegetables left over, use them the next day in a stir-fry or make a vegetable soup.

In a food processor, combine cream cheese, mayo, red peppers, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer to a serving dish and chill until serving time. Before serving, garnish the dip with chopped scallion.

Arrange vegetables on a serving platter and serve with dip.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grea a 2 quart baking dish. In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, artichoke hearts, spinach, mayonnaise, Parmesan, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.  Spoon the mixture into the baking dish.  Top with shredded mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or toasted rustic bread.