🙞 Cute Sharks (Charcuterie)

Ingredients

Ingredients are for 2 people, assuming 3 separate meals. Multiply by 3 to produce the weekly shopping list.

• 1 small orange bell pepper
• 1 small cucumber
• 2 servings of seasonal fruit, optional
• ⅓ sausage or salami link
• ⅓ premium cheese block or wheel
• ⅓ of a loaf of French or Italian bread
• 2-6 tsp Ranch dressing
• Butter or margarine

Equipment

• 2 dinner plates
• Paper towel or clean cloth
• Chef's knife
• Butter knife
• Cutting board
• Vegetable peeler

Preparation

• Wash bell pepper and ensure sticker is removed
• Peel cucumber
• Cut 4 slices of bread, or 2 slices and the heel cut in half
• If the fruit is strawberry: cut off tops
• If the fruit is melon: cut into small cubes
• If the fruit is apple: cut into 8 slices, deseeded

Instructions

1. Slice cucumber into thin slices, placing half on each plate
2. Slice, separate, and deseed each bell pepper lobe, removing any pith, then slice each lobe in half, ensuring an even number
3. Stack bell pepper slices in an even pile on each plate
4. Optionally season vegetables with salt
5. Wipe off knife and cutting board
6. Slice cheese into thin slices and stack in an even pile on each plate
7. Slice meat into thin slices and stack in an even pile on each plate
8. Wipe off knife and cutting board
9. Arrange fruit evenly on each plate
10. Butter each slice of bread, stacking butter-side to butter-side, and placing 2 slices on each plate
11. Portion ranch dressing as desired on each plate, optionally seasoning with pepper or dill

Notes

Seasonal fruit can be any fruit that is readily available and in-season, such as apple, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, watermelon (in small cubes), etc. If the cucumber and bell pepper are particularly large, you may wish to omit the fruit, because the meal might be too large otherwise.

Bell peppers generally have either 3 or 4 lobes, so for this recipe you will likely end up with either 6 or 8 slices per plate. Take this into account when proportioning and plating.

Choose cheeses and meats that have strong and varied flavors - don't be afraid to experiment or splurge on an expensive variety, because the rest of the meal is very inexpensive. Avoid high-fat meats that will unbalance the meal and give unpleasant side-effects.

Arrange components aesthetically on each plate, separating vegetables and ranch dressing from cheese, meat, fruit, and those from the bread.

This recipe creates meals for 2 people across 3 days. Wiping down and/or cleaning the knife and cutting board between ingredients is important to reduce cleanup between meals.