California Bounty Cheese Bouquet (cont’d)

Tools Needed:

Knife

Floral foam block

Plastic wrap

Vase or bouquet paper

Flower cookie cutters (various sizes) U-shaped toothpicks Wooden skewers Toothpicks

Floral tape

Ribbon or twine

Using knife, cut floral block into shape that fits inside vase. If using bouquet paper, use base at least 3 inches across and 4 inches high.

Wrap floral block in plastic wrap to keep from touching items in bouquet; place inside vase. If using bouquet paper, place wrapped floral block in mug to keep from falling over.

Use various cookie cutters to prepare cheeses as flowers. To create salumi roses, lay out 4-5 slices salumi overlapping one another. Fold row in half and roll into rose bud, securing with u-shaped toothpick. Place on skewer, add herb leaves and use floral tape to secure ends of toothpick to skewer. Repeat.

Skewer cheeses, salumi roses, lemonquats, mini apples, fresh figs, green grapes, goldenberries, dried apricots and mini artichokes.

To assemble, start in center with larger items. Use shorter skewers or toothpicks to secure smaller items closer to edges.

Use rosemary, bay leaves, olive leaves and wax flowers to fill gaps in back of bouquet.

To wrap: Once finished, gently lay block with skewers on top of paper, wrap and secure with tape and ribbon.