Healthy Food Christmas Tree, for Any Time of Year !

kiwidutch's Note:

I was looking for inspiration for a veggie tray and saw a photo on the Net that got me thinking. From there I devised my own variation and here it is :) Use any cheeses that can be cut into blocks (preferably of different colours for contrast) For instance, I used Westfriese kruidenkaas(a herb cheese), Cantenaar(a yellow mature cheese) and a mild white goats cheese. All measurements are approximate because it depends entirely on how many you are serving and how large you make your "tree". Serve with a pot of toothpicks so that your guest can select their pieces of choice. Excellently healthy for a party crowd and great addition for those of us trying to make our nibbles a little healthier.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 20

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 400 g cheese (14 oz various varieties of your choice)
• fresh mint, chopped
• 200 g cherry tomatoes (7 oz, or grape tomatoes)
• 1 carrot
• 1 round marshmallow
• olive oil
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Line a flat tray with foil.
2. Cut all of the cheese into bite sized cubes.
3. Wash and drain well,the bell peppers, mint and tomatoes and carrot. Slice the peppers into small strips and place each colour together in a pile.
4. Roughly slice the mint leaves.
5. Peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks.
6. Place a few pieces of cubed cheese in the centre bottom of the tray (this is the "trunk" of your "tree").
7. In order to achieve the Christmas Tree effect ,the broadest row will be at the bottom of the try and each successive row will be shorter on each end so that the whole three is more or less the shape of a triangle with a very narrow top.
8. Place a full row of cheese cubes directly above this and then a row of mint, a row of tomatoes, a row of carrots, a row of white cheese, a little mint, a row of yellow pepper, a row of tomatoes, a row of cheese, a row of green pepper, a row of tomato, a row of mint carrot, and finially a tiny row of red pepper.
9. NOTE: it's possible to carefully pile each row upwards evenly so that they are more or less the same height and the layers are not too thin.
10. To finish, cut a round marshmellow in half, and just using one half, and with a sharp knife, cut small wedges all the way around it so that it resembles a star. Place the the top of the "tree" on top of the red bell pepper strips.
11. before serving drizzle a few drops of olive oil (and lemon juice if prefered) over the vegetable sections of the tree, or serve with the dip of your choice.

Reviews

[Chef #949581]

I'm making this for our Relay for Life kick off! The theme is "All I want for Christmas is A CURE" Thanks, just what I was looking for!

[Sydney Mike]

Even though it's not Xmas right now, I made this just as the recipe indicated (sort of a test run for making again during the end-of-year holidays) & it was pretty much the center-piece on my finger food buffet this past time around, festive little colored picks & all ~ Everyone loved it! Thanks for posting the recipe! [Tagged, made & reviewed in Zaar Chef Alphabet Soup tag]