8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 ounces white cheddar or monterey jack cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
10 ounces smoked turkey breast slices, rolled tightly
6 ounces beef summer sausage, sliced into rounds
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup red seedless grapes
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup assorted artisan crackers
1/2 cup roasted almonds or pecans
Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish and tree texture
1 slice of thick provolone or yellow cheddar, for the star
1 handful of fresh blackberries or raspberries, for ornaments
Instructions
Select a large rectangular wooden board or a flat slate platter. Ensure it is clean and dry. Since you will be building the tree from the bottom up, place the board vertically in front of you so you have plenty of room for the height of the tree.
Start at the bottom center of the board. Place your crackers or a small stack of pretzels in a square or rectangular shape to represent the trunk of the Christmas tree. This provides a sturdy base for the rest of your edible art.
Just above the trunk, create the widest layer of the tree. I like to start with a row of green grapes or the sharp cheddar cubes. Lay them out in a straight horizontal line that extends past the width of the trunk on both sides.
Continue adding rows of ingredients, one on top of the other. For each new row, make the line slightly shorter than the one below it. Alternate between colors and textures. For example, follow the cheese with a row of rolled turkey slices, then a row of olives, then the beef rounds, and finally more grapes. This creates a beautiful striped effect.
Once you reach the top with a single cube of cheese or a grape, tuck small sprigs of fresh rosemary between the rows. The green needles should peek out from under the cheese and meat to mimic the branches of a real evergreen tree. Scatter a few berries on top of the cheese rows to look like festive ornaments.
Use a small star shaped cookie cutter to cut a star out of a thick slice of cheese. Place this star at the very top of your tree. Fill any empty spaces on the sides of the board with extra nuts or crackers to frame the tree and make the platter look full and inviting.
