Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 lg Head of Boston or other
-soft lettuce, separated
-into individual leaves
1 bn Of scallions, cut into
-2-inch lengths
1 c Coriander leaves
1 c Mint leaves
1 c Fresh Asian or regular
-basil leaves
1 Cucumber, peeled in
-alternating strips, halved
-lengthwise and slice
-thinly crosswise
4 oz Fresh bean sprouts
Pickled shallots (optional)

On a large platter, decoratively arrange all of the ingredients in
separate groups. Use in recipes where required.

This is a basic thing in Vietnamese cuisine, served with all sorts of
grilled foods. Such uses of raw veggies herbs are one of the things
about Vietnamese cuisine that makes it so fresh and appealing.

Vietnamese meals include an abundance of fresh lettuce, herbs, unripe
fruits and raw vegetables. These are arranged attractively on a
platter and are used for wrapping cooked foods at the table, usually
dipped in Nuoc Cham and eaten out of hand.

The following herbs, both very important to the Vietnamese, would be
authentic additions to the Vegetable Platter: One is the "saw leaf
herb" (Eryngium foetidium), or ngo gai in Vietnamese), a coriander
relative. The other is polygonum (P. pulchrum or rau ram in
Vietnamese), with pinkish stems, pointed green leaves and purplish
markings. They can be found occasionally at Southeast Asian markets.
If you have access to unripe mango, banana, papaya or apple and star
fruit (carambola), add them to the platter. You may select or
substitute the ingredients according to availability and personal
taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

From "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Rauthier. Stewart, Tabori
Chang. 1989.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 18 1991.

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