Greek Feta Dressing

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SIMPLE FLAVORS

Some months the recipes that inspire me are things I made once, were thrilling and delicious, and I just had to share - a laborious but beautiful pasta, or special enchiladas thanks to a trip south. But other times when I think back on my month of cooking, a recipe stands out because I loved it so much I couldn't help but make it over and over.

Since discovering this easy but really delicious feta dressing in mid-January, it has dressed a chop salad with lots of fresh dill, been smeared on grilled veggies and slabs of focaccia, dolloped over grain salad with lots of radish, and accompanied an oregano rubbed chicken as an ideal dipping sauce. This feta dressing is heavy on the feta, but cut with lots of fresh lemon juice and can easily be thinned out to make it less rich.

It comes from the Kokkari cookbook, a Greek restaurant here in downtown San Francisco. The food there is so incredibly good. The flavors are simple - lots of herbs, good olive oil and supremely fresh fish, and the preparation isn't fussy either. This makes it a great cookbook to own, as it's possible to (almost!) replicate their food in your own kitchen. Kali orexi (Bon Appetit!)

Feta Dressing
From Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors by Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher

  • 1 small clove of garlic

  • Sea salt + fresh pepper

  • 6 oz (about 1 1/4 cup) crumbled feta cheese

  • 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1/3 cup good extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Pound the garlic clove with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle, or sprinkle salt on clove and press, smearing with the back of your knife. You want a garlic paste. In a bowl, combine feta, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice and the garlic paste. Mix with a large spoon and smash the feta as you mix. You don't want really large chunks of feta, but some texture is good - you don't want a smooth dressing. Add a few turns of freshly ground pepper and taste for seasoning. Adjust with salt, lemon or olive oil as necessary.