How to Carve Vegetables

Zucchini Shark

Learning how to carve vegetables takes some time and patience, but the visual effect is worth the extra effort. These decorative food carvings can be used as decorations or appetizers. Always choose vegetables that are firm and free of significant blemishes. If you cannot serve your veggie art creations immediately, seal them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. Here are instructions for carving a zucchini shark head. This is a beginner-level carving that is suitable for kids to make under adult supervision. Does this Spark an idea?

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Water and paper towel Zucchini (6 inches long) Cutting board Sharp stainless steel paring knife 5 toothpicks

Instructions

How to Carve Vegetables
- 1
  
  Wash and dry the zucchini. Slice off the top 3 inches and set this portion aside.
- 2
  
  Place the bottom portion of the zucchini upright on the cutting board. If it does not balance, trim the cut end until it does. This forms the head of the shark. The tip of the zucchini is the shark's snout.
- 3
  
  Cut a wedge-shaped slice out of the zucchini 1 inch below the tip. The space left by this cut forms the open mouth.
- 4
  
  Chop the wedge-shaped slice in half. These two pieces are the fins. At the base of the shark head, carve out a small vertical slot on each side. Insert the half wedges into these slots.
- 5
  
  From the leftover top 3 inches of the zucchini, cut a round slice. Chop this slice in half. Choose one of these halves to be the back fin. On the back of the shark (opposite from the side with the mouth), carve out a small vertical slot 1 inch from the bottom. Insert the back fin into this slot.
- 6
  
  Break the tips off 5 toothpicks so you have 10 small, pointed wooden "teeth." Insert these toothpicks into the upper and lower jaws of the zucchini shark's head. Use the paring knife to carve out small dots for the eyes on each side of the mouth.

Tips & Warnings

Serve this zucchini shark as the centerpiece in a veggie tray. Set it directly in a shallow saucer of blue cheese vegetable dip so that it appears to be poking its head out of the water. This project works just as well with a cucumber.
Always use a sharp knife, but never cut toward yourself. Remove the toothpicks before eating the shark.

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Photo Credit All images courtesy of Daisy McCarty cc license

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How to Carve Vegetables

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