Feta With Olive Oil and Herbs

No cooking is required for this quick and easy feta appetizer, ideal for hot summer days when you don’t feel like turning on the stove. It is also great for a picnic or a summer party. The preparation, which is actually more an assembly of the ingredients, takes less than 10 minutes. However, that does not mean that you have to eat it right away, the feta is also very suitable to make ahead. If you let it sit for a little while longer, the herbs will impart even more flavor to the cheese.

To flavor the feta, you can use fresh or dried herbs or even spices. During the summer when fresh herbs are readily available and at their peak, use those because they have more flavor. Use one or several types of herbs on the cheese. Fresh parsley, thyme, and oregano are especially nice. Rosemary and basil work well too. Or try a small amount of fresh mint or dill. A good alternative to fresh herbs is herbes de Provence, which you can buy as a spice mix or make yourself.

Serve the feta with slices of baguette or your favorite bread, plus olives and cured meat.

If you don’t eat the entire batch at once, refrigerate the leftovers. You will notice that the olive oil forms crystals and solidifies in the fridge. That’s nothing to worry about, the oil will quickly liquify once you take it out of the refrigerator. 

Feta is a great cheese to always keep in your refrigerator because it can easily be turned into a lovely appetizer or snack. Buy whole chunks of feta instead of crumbled for better flavor and presentation.

Traditional feta is made with sheep’s milk, or mainly sheep’s milk with a small amount of goat’s milk blended in. Feta is usually associated with Greece, but it is also produced in several other countries. And depending on where the feta is made, it has a different flavor and consistency. Then there’s also feta-style cheese, which is made from cow’s milk. Which feta you use for this recipe is a question of personal taste.

Feta stays fresh in your refrigerator for a long time, especially when kept in liquid (water plus a little salt works just fine). However, if the feta has gone bad, it will smell and taste off, in a sour sort of way. Ideally, buy smaller portions that you'll use within two weeks.