Spicy Tomato-Marinated Feta
Corona Kitchen, Week 12.
The secret is out. I basically have no idea what day of the week it is on any given day and yesterday was no exception. I had intended on skipping last Monday, Memorial Day, because history has shown me that posts released on holidays get little attention. But as I lay awake for hours last night, replaying the images of the day and reading opinion pieces from source after source (some known and others newly discovered), it occurred to me that I forgot to share a recipe yesterday. I thought about just skipping it, I mean who is in the mood for light banter? Then I thought more and figured that while food will never resolve these big issues, it has always been a connector and now more than ever we need to connect. So here is my drop in the bucket. I will be doing more today. Looking for a cause that I want to donate to immediately and another to support over time. I also wanted to share with you a Facebook entry that my friend Emily Miller shared yesterday (this post was written by her dear friend, Dara Spearman, a fellow physician) and a blog post that I stumbled upon last night, called Dear White People by Iana Sundari Leufray. Both of these pieces touched my heart and got me thinking of conversations I must have and ways I need to use my advantage to make a difference.
Now for the tough transition…this is a delicious, quick appetizer from the cookbook Nothing Fancy by Allison Roman which was gifted to me as a very special treat by my friend Nicole. I worked my way through many recipes in this book during quarantine and enjoyed them all. I especially liked reading Allison’s recipe introductions which played down the sometimes exotic sounding ingredients with a casual, throw together panache.
I initially served Spicy Tomato-Marinated Feta in individual dishes for each of the two couples we invited over for “social-distanced” drinks on our back deck. In place of the harissa, I subbed in Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce (Fermented Crushed, Calabrian Chili Peppers), which I had picked up on a rare store visit and was anxious to try. The resulting cheese combo was delicious slathered on sliced baguette and is something that I will pull from my arsenal throughout the summer months. Quick, easy and just a little different. Enjoy!
Spicy Tomato-Marinated Feta
Ingredients
- 1/2 c olive oil plus more as needed
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 smallish ripe tomatoes or 1 medium coarsely chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbls harissa paste, or any hot pepper paste or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbls distilled white vinegar
- 8 oz feta cheese sliced into 1/4-inch slabs or 1/2-inch cubes
- crackers or sliced baguette for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, swirling the skillet occasssionaly, until the garlic is tender and nearly golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until they've broken down into a thick, chunky sauce, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the harissa (or pepper paste or flakes) and continue to cook until the sauce is a bit more paste-like, another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil until it becomes savory and spoonable.
- Place the feta in a serving dish or bowl and pour the tomatoe mizture over. Let sit at least 10 minutes, or up to a week in advance, refrigerated. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving with crackers, sliced baguette or just a small fork.