Does Anyone Eat the Veggie Tray?

No matter what the gathering, I almost always put out a veggie tray. You know what it looks like ... baby carrots, red peppers, cauliflower, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, broccoli and maybe something super exotic like canned black olives or banana pepper rings with a bowl of dip in the middle.

I remember the first time I ever saw a veggie tray. It was the late 1970s and my dad had taken us to the press box at UW-Whitewater on a Saturday football gameday. He was broadcasting the play-by-play part of the game for WFAW radio with his long-time pal and color-man Lew. Feeling like big shots, my little sister and I were allowed to enjoy the press box view, quietly.

Before the game started, he took us to the spread put on by the University for the coaching staffs and radio crews. Enormous veggie trays? Yes. And cold cut trays. I could hardly believe those beautiful platters of geometrically colorful raw veg, rolled up slices of deli meat and artistically arranged cheeses! I thought it was the fanciest thing I'd ever seen.

We really didn't get out much.

But I digress.

My question of the day is, "Does anyone really WANT the veggie tray?" I mean, does anyone really eat it at your gatherings?

I had an enormous one out for our little weightlifting session on Sunday night. It was barely touched. And as I sit here and try to think of what to make for dinner, I'm faced with a fridge full of veggie tray leftovers that have to get used up sooner rather than later.

Let's face it,  there is ALWAYS  veggie tray leftovers. And it's damn hard to find something else to do with cucumber slices.

So why do we insist on having this monstrosity in the first place?

Well, I guess so there's some sort of healthy option. Maybe because it's easy. Or colorful. Or because we're supposed to?

I'm not sure what the actual reasons are. Maybe all of those. Maybe none.

As such, I suspect I'll keep doing it. But I might try something a bit different to see if I can get more interest/action ... and fewer leftovers: