When February is over and March arrives, we suddenly see shamrocks, leprechauns, rainbows and shades of green everywhere. Everyone is ready for spring and geared up to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th! St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide in observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is considered a feast day and has evolved overtime into a celebration of the Irish culture. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
People celebrate by wearing green, decorating with green, attending parades, eating authentic Irish food, dancing, searching for leprechauns and pots of gold and drinking beer. Green or Irish beer that is!
It is a day filled with excitement and enchantment, especially with all the references to leprechauns. Leprechauns became associated with St. Patrick’s Day because the day honors the Irish culture and Leprechauns are found in old Irish fables.
Rainbows and pots of gold are common themes on St. Patrick’s Day too because of their connection to the Celtic culture and Leprechaun stories. The rainbow symbolizes hope and God’s promise of never flooding the earth again.
On St. Patrick’s Day children rejoice in searching for leprechauns and lucky pots of gold. We see kids making traps, using leprechaun bait or setting out green embellishments to attract them. It is super cute to witness their determination in capturing a little green guy or stumbling across a pot of gold.
Rainbows are proof there is magic in the world.
In honor of this feast day and the magic surrounding the leprechauns, rainbows and the fabled pot of gold, I thought it would be fun to create a rainbow charcuterie board with my kids. In March of 2023 we took on the challenge and created a masterpiece out of fruit. We added marshmallows for clouds and completed the look with a dazzling pot of golden chocolate coins! It was super fun to make and to eat!
Because the rainbow charcuterie board was such a hit and super delicious the previous year, we decided to create another one using a round wooden cutting board versus an eval platter. We also used a different marshmallow type and changed the fruit up a bit. It turned out to be another edible kaleidoscope of beauty. See below:
If you are interested in creating a beautiful rainbow charcuterie board below are some steps to success:
*First: Find Your Canvas: Look through your kitchen cabinets for something to use. It can be a cutting board, a platter, a large plate, butcher paper, etc. The canvas you choose for this project can impact the shape of the rainbow, so you need to keep that in mind. For example, the first time we did this we used an oval plate, so the rainbow arc was more stretched out. The round cutting board example made for a tighter, fatter rainbow. If you use a rectangular or square platter, plate or cutting board you could make a horizontal rainbow. The rainbow arc does not necessarily need to take on the shape of the platter or board you are using, you can simply create the classic arc on whatever canvas you desire. You are the artist here! Have fun creating this prismatic showpiece!
*Second: Create a Shopping List and Gather Supplies: To get your colorful juices flowing check out Pinterest or Google images for colorful pictures of rainbows and fruits. Think about what colors make up a rainbow. What always helps me is remembering what I was taught in elementary school, “Roy G. Biv”. Roy G. Biv is a made-up name used to help people remember the seven colors that make up the rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigio and Violet. Once you have this down, ask yourself, “What fruits are red?” What fruits are orange? “Yellow?”, and so on. With the first oval platter, we fully used Roy G. Biv, with the second, we kept it simpler and ended with blue. There is no right or wrong way to do this, do what inspires you!
Make a list of the fruits you want to use and then hit the produce section at your local grocery store!
Below is a list of items we used to create our rainbow charcuterie boards:
- Reds – Strawberries and Raspberries
- Oranges – Cantaloupe and Clementines
- Yellows – Pineapple
- Greens – Kiwi and Green Grapes
- Blues – Blueberries
- Indigo – Red Grapes
- Violet – Blackberries
- 4 inch Black Plastic Cup for the gold
- Round Cutting Board – https://amzn.to/4cOtJ8W
- Melamine oval platter – https://amzn.to/4anVB1Y
- Chocolate Coins – https://amzn.to/3xqyR2D
- Mini Marshmallows – https://amzn.to/3PT701k
- Mini Dehydrated Marshmallows – https://amzn.to/3PQoqvN
The above list is provided as a helpful guide, but when it comes to making a rainbow there are so many different fruits to use. Be brave and experiment with different fruit and color options. Same with the pot of gold. We used gold chocolate coins, but you could use Rolos, Hershey Kisses with almonds, or even Hershey’s Gold Nuggets.
- Rolos – https://amzn.to/43NKZXw
- Hershey Kisses with Almonds – https://amzn.to/3U6FuA9
- Hershey’s Nuggets – https://amzn.to/3J8fP3F
*Third: Prep and Assembly: Once you have your canvas and fruit, it is time for the fun part! Before you start creating your rainbow ensure you have your fruit prepared in advance. Meaning wash, cut, dice, and peel as necessary. The goal is to have small pieces of fruit to work with. The possibilities are endless here. Because the board will be made for snacking ensure fruits are the appropriate size for that.
Once your fruits are prepped for assembly, this is where Roy G. Biv comes in handy again. Whether your design is an arc or linear, start with the red fruits and work your way down with each color of the rainbow. Be sure to keep fruit tight together to make for a complete look. Roy G. Biv is just a suggestion here for that classic rainbow look but do as you wish. Reverse the order, switch the pattern, etc. There aren’t really any rules, as long as you are having fun creating your rainbow. May the luck of the Irish possess you in creating this masterpiece!
Once the rainbow is established add some marshmallows to mimic white fluffy clouds. Then finish it off with a glorious pot of gold!
*Fourth: Admire and Enjoy: Now that your beautiful spectrum of color is complete, it is time to sit back and admire your work. Share this masterpiece with family and friends on St. Patrick’s Day. May their hearts burst with rainbows when they gaze upon its beauty. The pot of gold will warm their hearts because it symbolizes success and happiness in years to come. Be sure to take pictures before the feast starts! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Enjoy!
WISHING YOU A POT OF GOLD AND ALL THE LOVE YOUR HEART CAN HOLD!
