Today I will tell you about a recipe that is as simple as it is delicious: baked feta with cherry tomatoes, oregano, and olives.
A typical Greek recipe that I discovered in an episode of The Wandering Chef, which I watched last winter and hope to see a rerun of soon! It is a French TV series about travel and cooking, in which chef Fred Chesneau showcases the beauty and specialties of the places he visits, stopping to eat in characteristic places and cooking with the locals their traditional dishes.
The episode I saw was dedicated to Greece, and I watched it with great interest until the end because… ehhh I would love to go to Greece! And because the little Greek cuisine I know, I really like a lot.
The baked feta cooked by Chesneau had a special charm because it was cooked in a wood-fired oven that looked well-used and, especially, because it was enjoyed there, outdoors and on a stone counter instead of a table. Just the place where I want to be right now! 😃
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Here are more of my recipes with feta, a delicious cheese! 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz feta
- 1 bunch cherry tomatoes (about 15 cherry tomatoes)
- 1 clove garlic
- Taggiasca olives (to taste)
- lemon zest
- oregano
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Parchment paper
- Baking dish
Steps
The process is very simple:
☝ Rinse the feta with running water to remove excess brine salt. If desired, leave it to soak for a few minutes.
This washing of the feta is not in the original recipe, but for this salt-free blog, it is a very important step.Wash a bunch of cherry tomatoes.
Place a sheet of parchment paper (or foil) on a small baking dish or tray.
Arrange the feta on the parchment paper.
Season the feta with some grated lemon zest, oregano, and chopped garlic.
Place the whole bunch of cherry tomatoes on the feta.
Add the olives (I also added more garlic and oregano) and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Close the parcel.
Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
👉 When opening the parcel, there will be a lot of juice at the bottom, and the parchment paper will have torn a little. In fact, a small part of my juice spilled out and got slightly burnt on the tray.
In the French chef’s recipe, foil was used. Next time I will try placing the feta in a cocotte and wrapping everything in parchment paper, including the cocotte, to prevent the paper from tearing.Enjoy hot. Yum!
This baked feta is delicious! The feta becomes soft and creamy and you can dip bread in the juice.
And be sure to put the cherry tomatoes with the whole bunch! Because it makes everything more beautiful to look at and adds aroma and flavor. 😋
For this baked feta, I used IGP Romagna cherry tomatoes, which are the best cherry tomatoes I could find here, and Taggiasca olives, which I thought were just right for a Greek recipe with an Italian twist.
Furthermore, I tried the recipe without using lemon zest and I assure you it turned out great anyway (although the zest is excellent), so try omitting or adding ingredients, try using other herbs, a pinch of chili pepper, or some capers, or use red onion instead of garlic… in short, get creative! You’ll see, you’ll become baked feta addicts! 😃
Salt-free Tips
There is absolutely no need to add salt to this recipe. Indeed, I renew my advice to desalinate the feta by soaking it in water for a few minutes because it is a cheese preserved in brine and very flavorful. I discovered this trick of soaking feta in a container long ago by watching a video of Greek recipes. 😉
I remind you as always to read my tips to reduce salt from your tables.
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, remember always to:
▫ Gradually decrease the salt, the palate must get used to it gradually and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granulate and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Allow yourself to occasionally break the rules. It’s good for your mood and helps to persevere.
If you do not want, or cannot, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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