Fun with Feta

Fun with Feta

Feta Cheese...............Love it!! Anyone who has read any of my previous BLOG entries or my first annual "A Year in My Kitchen - 2009" cookbook, you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! Feta, that is. A staple in any Greek Pantry (O.K., the refrigerator), feta is a "classic" Greek cheese.  It is traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk and is cured, or stored, in its own salty whey brine until it becomes white and crumbly. It's right up there with olive oil (not quite that high), basil, cucumber, ouzo, and oregano. Following these recipes will be a little background on other Greek "pantry" items to have on hand.  (See the article following the recipes entitled, "Facts on Feta.")

Here are some simple, but delicious recipes with feta cheese.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did....

Let's hear it for the stinky cheeses!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomato  and Cucumbers with Feta Cheese

• 2 medium tomatoes - cored and sliced
• 1 1/2 cucumbers - peeled, sliced, seeded
• salt and pepper - to taste
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup (4 oz.) feta cheese - crumbled - you can either buy it crumbled or crumble it yourself - I vote for buying it already crumbled, but that's just me.............

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper.  Add vinegar and olive oil. Toss to coat.  Sprinkle on feta cheese and serve.

Sauteed Zucchini with Feta Cheese

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large zucchini - thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves - chopped
• salt and pepper - to taste
• 1 tbsp. dried basil flakes
• 1/2 tsp. dried cilantro (optional)
• 1/2 cup feta cheese - crumbled

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil on low heat.  Add zucchini and slowly saute with garlic and a little salt and pepper until golden and slightly carmelized - about 20 minutes.   Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in basil, cilantro, and feta. Saute for 10 minutes or until the ingredients are at the "doneness" you desire.

Greek Salad

• 1 package romaine lettuce - e.g. Dole Salad Mixture
• 3 medium tomatoes - quartered
• 1 medium cucumber - seeded and chopped
• 7 oz. feta cheese - crumbled
• 2 medium green onions - chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper - diced
• 3/4 cup black olives - halved
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper - to taste

Combine lettuce, tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, and chopped cucumber in a large bowl - add the feta cheese, onions, and black olives. Toss gently.  For the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper - to taste.  Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture. Toss gently.  Serve with pita or crusty bread.

 

  

Facts on Feta

Feta cheese is the most popular Greek cheese and is traditionally made from goat's milk or sheep's milk. It is stored in wooden barrels of brine and matured for at least two months.  This method of preserving cheese was first discovered in ancient times and may have been the first preserved cheese in Greece.  Most feta cheese comes from mountainous areas and its pure white color comes from the color of milk of lean animals that roam the "craggy slopes" looking for food.

 

Goat's feta cheese has a strong, gamey flavor.  Sheep's feta has a richer taste.  Both soft and firm feta, as well as sweet and less salty types of feta are available in Greece.  Feta is used in salads and baked in a variety of pies. (e.g "spanakopita")  Cubed or crumbled feta is used in stuffed vegetables or added to omelettes - or used as a stuffing for fish.  Feta is also served with fruit, such as watermelon, or just with olive oil poured over the top and sprinkled with oregano.

 

 

 

*The Greek Pantry

• Basil - Called the "royal herb" by ancient Greeks, basil is a key summer herb in Mediterranean cooking.  
• Cucumber - Cucumbers were believed to have originated in either India or Thailand and was cultivated for thousands of year.
• Olive Oil - Olive oil is from pressed, tree-ripened olives and its extracts are monounsaturated fats - or the "good fats."  Olive oil is graded by the degree of acidity they contain.  The best olive oil is cold-pressed, and the chemical-free process creates the low-acidity.  Extra-Virgin olive oil has only 1% acidity, which is the finest and fruitiest of all olive oils.
• Oregano - Oregano came to the United States by soldiers from WWII.  It is sometimes called "wild marjoram."

*More to follow in subsequent postings......................