02 August 2013

The feta cheese recipe from the "Wine and Mediterranean Diet" Tasting

I am delighted this was so popular!

Here's what you need:

1 pound of Bulgarian feta -- it's cheaper than French or Greek and to my mind has the best flavor. Buy it in blocks at a cheesemonger and DO NOT USE those plastic containers of horrible crumbs of feta that supermarkets sell in the dairy aisle.

1/3 cup or more of extra-virgin olive oil; the cheese should be moist but not runny.

Zest of 2 lemons

2 or 3 gloves of garlic, chopped, hopefully not hideous Chinese garlic but New York State or New Jersey grown, but use what you have

2 or 3 branches' worth of rosemary leaves.

1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste if you wish

A lot of freshly ground black pepper. You should grind enough that you hand should hurt.

Break the feta into smallish chunks. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and thoroughly blend with a wooden spoon or a very large fork, breaking up the bigger chunks of feta as you go. Cover, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or longer, shaking the bowl every so often. Serve with good South Philly style bread or plain crackers. Plan on making more than you think people will eat, because they will eat more. Watermelon or other sweet fruit makes a fine companion. The cheese will last in the icebox for quite some time.

NOTES: There are infinite variations here: for hotter cheese, use a teaspoon or more of your favorite hot sauce or Tabasco. For a funkier cheese, add a tablespoon of pickapeppa or Worchestershire sauce. A shallot or two, finely chopped, would add crunch. Make it vaguely Asian by using lime zest and oyster sauce. The herb could be thyme, sage, or basil.