12 cubes sharp cheddar cheese, cut into half-inch squares
12 green olives, pitted and drained
12 cherry tomatoes, washed and dried
12 fresh parsley leaves, for a touch of green
12 wooden skewers or long toothpicks
Instructions
Start by placing your cheese cubes on a flat work surface. The cheese acts as the sturdy trunk of your tree, so ensure each cube is cut evenly so the skewers can stand upright without tipping over.
Take one slice of beef salami and fold it in half. Then, fold it back and forth in an accordion or zig-zag pattern, starting wide at the bottom and getting narrower toward the top. This creates the tiered look of the evergreen branches.
Carefully thread the folded salami onto the wooden skewer. Push the skewer through all the layers of the accordion fold, ensuring the widest part of the fold is at the bottom and the narrowest is at the top to mimic a tree shape.
Slide a green olive onto the skewer above the salami to represent the upper branches. Finally, top the skewer with a cherry tomato or a piece of red pepper to act as the festive star at the top of your tree.
Press the bottom of the skewer firmly into the center of a cheese cube. Adjust the salami folds gently with your fingers to make sure the tree looks full and symmetrical. Repeat the process for the remaining skewers.
