12 cubes of sharp white cheddar cheese, about half an inch thick
12 green olives, stuffed with pimentos
1 large yellow bell pepper
12 long wooden toothpicks or small bamboo skewers
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
Start by placing your cheese cubes on a flat serving platter. These will act as the sturdy base for your trees. Next, wash the yellow bell pepper and slice it into flat planks. Use a small star shaped cookie cutter to punch out 12 stars. If you do not have a cutter, you can carefully use a paring knife to cut out small triangles or star shapes by hand.
Take one slice of beef salami and fold it in half, then fold it again in an accordion style, back and forth, about three times. This creates the ruffled look of evergreen branches. For a taller tree, you will use two slices per skewer, so repeat this process with a second slice of salami, keeping the folds tight between your fingers.
Slide a green olive onto the wooden toothpick, pushing it toward the top but leaving enough room for the star. Next, thread your folded salami slices onto the toothpick. Start with the first slice, then the second, making sure the folds stay compressed so the tree looks full. The olive will sit right at the top of the salami layers like a decorative ornament.
Carefully push the bottom of the toothpick into the center of a cheese cube. Make sure it is deep enough to stay upright but not so far that it goes through the bottom. Finally, top the toothpick with your bell pepper star. Arrange the finished trees on your platter and tuck fresh rosemary sprigs around the cheese bases to look like forest greenery.
