The sun is out and so is school– it’s entertaining season, y’all.
I am the queen of over committing myself to cooking events. A brunch on Saturday and a cocktail party on Friday with family lunch on Sunday– what could possibly go wrong, right?! Because I am constantly over booking myself, I have developed a few no fuss party go-to’s that keep well and will be huge crowd pleasers!
Enter stage right, Marinated Feta. Are you drooling? Because I’m definitely drooling.
This is a perfect centerpiece for girl’s nights, bookclubs, dinner parties, or a night in with someone special AND you can make it ahead while you frantically clean off the “laundry chair”.
You will need:
2+ cups of your favorite olive oil– I love extra virgin, because it’s the first pressing of the olives, giving you the best flavor and the least acid for that smooth, fatty flavor.
3 large cloves of garlic, sliced.
1 Lemon, sliced in rounds
Herbs– I used fresh dill and fresh flat leaf parsley, which is honestly my go-to combination. I also used about 1/4 c each, but you’re allowed to go as heavy as you want here.
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
s & p to taste
Feta– you have a few options here: you can buy pre crumbled or a whole block; you can also marinate your feta block whole or go ahead and crumble it. This is totally up to you. Most recently, I used pre crumbled because it’s what I had on hand. I think this also allows you a shorter marinating window.
To assemble the easiest, fanciest cheesy snack of all time, pour your olive oil into a jar or other air tight container, and add your garlic, herbs, and season to your olive oil. If you happen to be assembling this the night before, I recommend letting your olive oil infuse over night. The length of time you will marinate your feta isn’t hugely important unless you’re using a whole block, in which case, you’re going to want at least 6 hours. If you’re going the pre crumbled route, you can usually get by with a minimum of one hour marinating at room temperature.
Serve alongside a charcuterie or on it’s own with baguette, pita, or naan. We used the tasty cheese bread from Kroger because cheese compliments cheese, as you know. But the possibilities are endless!
I hope this makes an appearance in your next gathering and if it does, make sure to hashtag it #sixdollarspoon so I can pretend to be partying with you!
xo,
K
Not-so-Pro Tip: I love pretty food, so I like to keep the lemons, garlic, and herbs nice and big so that you can really appreciate how pretty this simple snack is! (Also, not everyone likes to eat whole chunks of garlic, so leaving it sliced instead of grated cuts out the element of surprise.