Whipped Feta With Crushed Olives

SERVES 6

I used to whip feta with milk, but the site Serious Eats taught me about using Greek yogurt, which yields a super creamy, pillowy dip. Serve it with warm pita or grilled sourdough and some cucumbers sliced on an extreme bias. I’m not usually one to suggest more prep time, but homemade pita is immeasurably better and there are plenty of great recipes online.

I like the presentation of the salty bits on top, but you can pulse all the ingredients together for a more homogeneous texture.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces / 225 g sheep’s milk feta cheese

  Around Our Table: Wholesome Recipes to Feed Your Family and Friends Sara Forte

• 1⁄2 cup / 114 g plain Greek yogurt

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• Freshly ground pepper

• 4 ounces / 113 g mixed pitted olives

• 3 ounces / 85 g sundried tomatoes

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1⁄2 cup / 10 g chopped flat-leaf parsley

• Few sprigs of mint leaves, chopped

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Toasted pine nuts

• Warm, torn pita or grilled bread

• Persian cucumbers, sliced on a diagonal

PREPARATION:

In a food processor, combine the feta, yogurt, garlic, and a few grinds of pepper. Pulse until smooth and fluffy, about a minute. If it’s dry and too thick to move, add a drizzle of olive oil and whip again. 

Plate the dip in a shallow bowl with some swoops of a spoon for the topping to fall into. 

Smash the olives with the side of your knife, give them a rough chop, and collect them in a mixing bowl. Mince the sundried tomatoes, then add those, the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper flakes, a few grinds of freshly ground pepper, parsley, mint, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss it all together to combine. Spoon it over your whipped feta, along with all the juicy bits.

Top with toasted pine nuts and serve with bread and cucumber slices.

Excerpted with permission from Around Our Table by Sara Forte published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, April 2024, RRP $40.00 Hardcover.

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