A visually inviting board layering cheeses, meats, fruits, and nuts in a wheat field theme for gatherings.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cheeses
01 - 5.3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
02 - 5.3 oz Swiss cheese, sliced
03 - 5.3 oz creamy brie, sliced or in wedges
04 - 3.5 oz gouda, cubed
→ Cured Meats
05 - 3.5 oz prosciutto
06 - 3.5 oz salami, sliced
07 - 3.5 oz smoked turkey breast, sliced
→ Crackers & Bread
08 - 5.3 oz whole wheat crackers
09 - 5.3 oz multigrain crackers
10 - 1 small baguette, sliced
→ Fresh Fruits
11 - 1 small bunch green grapes
12 - 1 small bunch red grapes
13 - 1 pear, sliced
14 - 1 apple, sliced
15 - 1/2 cup dried apricots
16 - 1/3 cup dried cranberries
→ Nuts & Garnishes
17 - 1/2 cup roasted almonds
18 - 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
19 - Fresh rosemary sprigs
20 - 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
→ For Decoration
21 - 1 mini pumpkin or gourd (turkey body)
22 - Pretzel sticks (wheat stalks and turkey feathers)
23 - 2 black olives (turkey eyes)
24 - 1 small piece red bell pepper (wattle)
25 - 1 small yellow cheese triangle (beak)
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 - Position the mini pumpkin or gourd centrally at the bottom of a large wooden board to form the turkey's body.
02 - Fan out sliced prosciutto, salami, and smoked turkey breast above the pumpkin, alternating colors and textures to emulate the turkey's tail feathers.
03 - Place assorted sliced and cubed cheeses in arcs radiating outward from the pumpkin, simulating wheat field rows.
04 - Line up whole wheat and multigrain crackers alongside sliced baguette in lines or curves to evoke wheat stalks.
05 - Disperse clusters of grapes, apple and pear slices, plus dried apricots and cranberries decoratively around the cheeses and meats.
06 - Scatter roasted almonds, shelled pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and fresh rosemary sprigs into remaining spaces for texture and color.
07 - Insert pretzel sticks among the arrangement edges, cheeses, and fruits to mimic additional wheat stalks.
08 - Fix black olives as eyes, red bell pepper as wattle, and yellow cheese piece as beak onto the pumpkin front using toothpicks if necessary.
09 - Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to present.
