Feta is a brined soft cheese, made from sheep (and goats milk) and is very popular in Greek cuisine. It looks like paneer but is much softer, grainier and tangier. While the most popular way of using feta is in a Greek Salad – this cheese has the ability to shine in many other dishes. I picked up a slab of Feta this week and was hard pressed to find a recipe that does it justice. I wanted Feta to be the star of the dish and not just a supporting element. After many frustrating hours of searching my recipe books and the internet, I just decided to use it in a Watermelon and Arugula (Rocket) Salad. Besides, I had recently learnt how to deseed a watermelon and I was itching to see if it works. (It does – Instructables shows you how!). The salad is an amazing medley of tastes and textures – sweet and crispy watermelon, crunchy and peppery arugula and finally creamy and salty feta, dressed with silky honey and olive oil. The salad is super easy to put together and colorful to look at as well. I used up half the slab of feta here and packed the other half away.
Later in the day, I remembered a beautiful meal that me and the co-resident had in one of our favorite Greek restaurants – Thalassa in Goa. The appetizer was a slab of marinated Feta served with toasted Pita! I had found my Feta Star recipe. This is an absolute breeze to make and you will not believe the flavor explosion in your mouth. If I wanted to serve up a really chic appetizer in a fancy party – this would be it! It makes sense to go out and scout for a good slab of Feta, just to have the pleasure of eating this. The creamy Feta just luxuriates in a good quality olive oil and once you dress it in some herbs – your work is done. Like Leonardo Da Vinci said and Steve Jobs believed - “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
