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Recipes: Feta cheese is the key ingredient in these 3 dishes

In ragtag crumbles or genteel chunks, feta cheese gives a frisky flavor edge to dishes. Its salty, sour-sweet sharpness gives a classic Greek salad its signature taste. The perky cheese dates back thousands of years in Greece, where it’s made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk. Today, in the U.S., it generally is made commercially with cow’s milk.

This rindless, bed-sheet-white cheese is cured and stored in a brine made with salt and either water or its own whey (the watery liquid that separates from the curd during the cheese-making process). Brining stops the ripening process, keeping the cheese fresh and flavorful. Due to the salt content of the brine, this cheese acts as a salty element in recipes, something to keep in mind when adding salt to those concoctions.

At about 264 calories for a 3 1/2-ounce serving (21 grams of fat), feta hovers midway between the higher-in-fat cheddars at about 403 calories and the low-in-fat part-skim ricottas at about 138 calories. Feta can range in texture from soft to semidry, and “fetaphiles” differ in their preferences. Made in Bulgaria, France, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Romania, and Italy, as well as Greece and America, products vary in texture as well as saltiness and tartness.

Some cookbook authors call out a specific style of feta, noting that the French is mildly tangy and moister than Greek, sometimes adding that the Greek feta is saltier, drier, and has a stronger flavor profile.

American feta, pleasantly pungent and moist, is available in supermarkets, packaged in airtight containers, either plain (crumbled or in a block) or combined with other flavorings, such as basil and tomato, or garlic and herbs. Here are three of my go-to recipes that showcase feta.

Chicken Thighs with Olives and Feta Cheese

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

3/4 cup imported black olives, such as kalamata, pitted

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano OR 2 teaspoons dried

Optional for serving: 8 ounces cooked and drained orzo; see cook’s notes

2/3 cup crumbled feta

Garnish: About 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Optional garnish: Sprigs of fresh Italian parsley and/or fresh oregano

Cook’s notes: This dish is delicious served on a bed of cooked orzo, a rice-shaped pasta. Cook it according to package directions, then drain and toss with minced fresh basil and enough extra-virgin olive oil to lightly coat pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

PROCEDURE

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper (go easy with the salt if the feta you’re using is salty). Heat oil in large deep skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add chicken in single layer and cook until nicely browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl.

2. Add onion to drippings in skillet. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes or until onions soften. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices, olives, wine, and oregano. Return chicken to pan and any accumulated juices; bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through (about 25 minutes), removing lid the last 5 minutes of cooking.

3. Place cooked orzo, if using, on serving platter. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with feta and chopped parsley. If desired, garnish platter with sprigs of Italian parsley and oregano. Serve.

Orzo and Spinach Salad has vibrant flavors and colors. (Photo by Kenneth Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Orzo and Spinach Salad

The vibrant flavors in this delicious salad make it a favorite on a buffet table. I found the recipe in “The Vintner’s Table Cookbook” by Mary Evely, (Simi Winery, $29.95), the book a long-ago winner in the First Book category of the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Awards dubbed the Julia Child Award. In this dish, the tang of fresh spinach combines beautifully with a spunky pasta salad (orzo is rice-shaped pasta) that’s accented with flavor dynamos such as feta cheese, capers, imported black olives and an herb-laden vinaigrette.

Yield: 8 servings

12 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 ounces clean baby spinach or 2 bunches clean large-leaf spinach, torn into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup slivered kalamata olives, pits removed

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch matchsticks

2 green onions, minced (white and half of dark green stalks)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Cook’s notes: If you want to add protein to make this dish a main-course salad, add 12 ounces of cooked shrimp, just before serving.

PROCEDURE

1. Cook orzo al dente using the package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Combine with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl; toss to coat.

2. For the dressing, combine lemon juice with 1/2 cup olive oil, wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add to the orzo and toss.

3. Add the spinach, olives, bell pepper, green onions and capers; toss to mix well. Add the cheese and toss again. Taste and correct seasoning, if needed. Divide among 8 dinner plates.

Source: “The Vintner’s Table Cookbook” by Mary Evely (Simi Winery, $29.95)

Herb-Marinated Feta and Olives should be chilled for a day before it’s served. You can enjoy it with crackers or slices of ciabatta or sourdough. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Herb-Marinated Feta and Olives – Appetizers or Salad Dressing

This easy feta-centric mix should be prepared a day in advance (but stays delicious for up to one week), covered and refrigerated. The chilling time allows the herbs and spices to delightfully flavor the oil, feta, and olives. If you’re not a cilantro fan, substitute fresh oregano or parsley. The tasty mixture is a self-serve appetizer atop sturdy crackers or bread slices. Pita crackers, water crackers or Triscuits work well (cocktail napkins are a good idea). As for bread options, 2-inch-wide rectangular slices of ciabatta or sourdough make good landing bases (baguette slices only work if they are free of gaping holes). Guests are invited to serve themselves, spooning it atop the cracker or bread. Or use the irresistible concoction as a salad dressing, spooning it atop chopped Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and slivers of red onion.

Yield: Serves about 12

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons finely grated orange or tangerine zest (colored portion of peel)

1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces pitted brine-cured olives, preferably some black and some green, see cook’s notes

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

10 ounces crumbled feta cheese

For serving as an appetizer: sturdy crackers or rectangles of sliced bread such as sourdough, ciabatta, or artisanal country white

For serving as salad dressing: chopped Romaine lettuce, slivers red onion, cherry tomatoes

Cook’s notes: I like to use three olive varieties, all pitted, but if you prefer one or two can be used: Kalamata, Manzanilla, and halved Castelvetrano.

PROCEDURE

1. Combine cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes in small skillet; place on medium-high heat for about a minute or until fragrant, shaking skillet handle in the process to redistribute contents. Transfer to bowl. Add garlic, zest, and oil; stir to combine. Add pitted olives, basil, and cilantro; stir to combine. Fold in feta. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 7 days.

2. Bring to room temperature before serving. Stir to combine. For appetizer use, place bowl in center of platter and surround with crackers, and/or bread slices cut into manageable rectangles. Provide a couple of small spoons and cocktail napkins. For dressing, spoon over a mix of chopped Romaine, red onions slivers and halved cherry tomatoes.

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