I served this Marinated Herbed Feta and the Tzatziki pictured above as part of a Mezze Platter before a Greek dinner with friends over the weekend.
Mezze, ( there are various spellings depending on the region), is defined broadly as small, savory dishes served as appetizers or accompaniments to alcoholic drinks in Greek or Middle Eastern cuisine.
Along with the feta and tzatziki I also served marinated grilled artichoke hearts, a red pepper, eggplant and garlic spread, hummus, and an assortment of olives.
My husband picked up some freshly baked pita bread in the afternoon from a nearby Mediterranean restaurant, and I had purchased some delicious pita chips from Trader Joe’s earlier in the week.
One of the nice things about serving like this is you can make a few items from scratch, and fill in with a variety of delicious store-bought items.
One of my favorite dinners followed … Greek Salad, Roasted Greek Chicken and Potatoes, and Greek Style Green Beans with Tomatoes. You can find the recipes here.
Now for the Marinated Herbed Feta (Ina Garten)
Ingredients
1 and ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 and ½ pounds Greek feta, drained and sliced ½ inch thick
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup green olives with pits, such as Cerignola
½ cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted pita triangles, for serving
Preparation
1. Combine the dried thyme, seeds and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Lay the feta slices overlapping on a 9 x 9-inch square serving plate.
2. Sprinkle the feta with the entire herb mixture. Nestle the fresh thyme sprigs and olives among the feta slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve at room temperature with the pita triangles.
And here is the link to my favorite Tzatziki recipe !