It seemed like a nice walk in the park for Mr. Cherry man when all of a sudden his cherry pit was on the ground and a white chalk line surrounded him. Can Sherlock Holmes solve the mysteriously delicious murder of Mr. Cherry man?

Step 1: Materials and Ingredients

Since we are really just making a fun salad, you will only need a few utensils.

Needed Utensils:
1. Sharp knife (I only used one knife to chop, cut, and sculpt everything but you might want a chef's knife for the lettuce and a pairing knife for the smaller work with the avocado and onions)
2. Cutting board ( Using a large one will help reduce clutter and give you a nice open working area)
3. Cherry seeder (This is an optional tool, if you do not have one just poke the pit out with your little finger or a chopstick)
4. Plate ( This is your canvas - choose a medium sized one that is light coloured so you won't have too much negative space)

These ingredients are very basic but it is what you do with them that counts!

Ingredients:
1. Romaine Lettuce ( If you do not have romaine, just use any other type of leafy green including kale or arugula!)
2. Cream Cheese (Preferably a packet because you can cut a little hole in it to squeeze out a thin line)
3. Onion
4. Avocado (Using an under ripe avocado is best because the flesh is firm and easier to work with)
5. Cherry (If you have a fresh cherry it is good, or use an overripe cherry because it will be juicier. You may also have to squeeze out some extra cherry juice from another cherry if you want a really "colourful" plate)
6. Cracker (This will be used for the pants of Sherlock Holmes. In this Instructable I used a Ritz cracker, but any cracker will do!)

Step 2: The Lawn

Using the lettuce and the large knife, roll the lettuce leaves into a little bundle then chop them into thin strips. This technique will give you a nice looking lawn with long thin strands of grass. If you want to, you may leave the leaves whole if you have large leaves so they cover the entire plate.

Step 3: Onion Body and Chalk Line

To create the body of the Mr. Cherry man, slice the onions into little thin slices. The best way to create the torso is to cut a slice off of one of the inner rings and place it below the cherry. DO NOT pit the cherry yet.

After making the body from onions, take the packet of cream cheese and slice a tiny little piece off the corner with scissors. Slowly pipe the cream cheese around the edge of the body, do not pull the cream cheese along across the lettuce, instead wait for the cream cheese to squeeze all the wait out before you continue. However you do not need to use the whole package of cream cheese.

Step 4: Avocado Holmes Is on the Case!

Although this step is not terribly difficult, it will take some patients; hang in there and make your cuts carefully and decisively.

Part 1:
To start it off, cut a diagonal slice off the top of the avocado. This will be the head, so you can make it round, oblong, or egg shaped like I did. Next cut the avocado in half length-wise, not around its equator. After separating the two halfs, take the one with out the pit in it, this will be the body, and cut about half an inch in on both sides of it and separate the outer parts from the skin with a spoon. The slices should just reach the edge of where the pit was. Next, cut a concave curve off of the top of the body, this will make room for the head to stick. Since the only thing holding the head up is the avocado it is touching, make as much surface area for the head to touch as possible.

Part 2:
After the body is made and the head cut, it is time to do the finishing details. To put the eyes, mouth and nose on Avocado Holmes, cut a thin strip of skin from the half of avocado that isn't being used. Cut the strip into smaller pieces for the face features, then make shallow slices in the face of the avocado for the skin. After the face features are cut, and small incisions are made to accommodate them on the face, gently press the eyes, then nose, then mouth, onto the face. Once you have finished the face, you must make the signature Sherlock Holmes hat. To do this, cut about a quarter of the skin off of the other half of the avocado and remove the flesh. Sorry I do not have pictures for this part. After cutting the rounded top of the hat, cut out a diagonally angled bill to it, this will make it look "3D".

Part 3:
For the pants, I used a cracker that I cut into the shape of pants. Be careful when cutting the cracker because as the name suggests, it may crack. Next shave the bottom of the body off so it is flat, and wedge the cracker-pants in between the sides of the avocado; adjusts its positioning on the avocado so that Holmes will stand upright by himself. Now press the hat onto the head, and the head onto the body. Finally! Your finished Avocado Holmes! Place him on your plate so that he is overlooking the crime scene skeptically.

Step 5: Da' Brain Is on the Floor

You do not have to add this step if you would like since it is a wee bit gruesome. Take the cherry from the plate and insert it into your cherry pitting device ( if you do not have a cherry pitter, use your finger or a chopstick), and push the pit out of the cherry over the plate. Try to have the juice drip next to the final resting place of the cherry man for added gore. Once the pit is removed, put the cherry back inside the chalk line with the 'brains' on one side and the cherry juice oozing from the crime scene.

Now that your mystery salad is finished, show it off! You could have it as a centerpiece to a meal and take turns describing the mysteriously delicious death of Mr. Cherry Man, or just admire your craftsmanship while you erase all signs of the murder by shoving it into your gullet with a fork. No matter what you choose, I hope you had fun making this interesting salad, and it has inspired you for your own creations!