Looking to move away from traditional brie and crackers for your next dinner party or drinks? Or maybe you’re looking for that extra something to round out a large cheeseboard? Consider the wonders of fetta (or feta) cheese. Fetta is a pretty versatile little cheese which adds zing and variety to platters when it matters! When it comes to using fetta as a feature cheese, it is important to note that quality is king. A good fetta will be a creamy, heavenly star at the table. Here are 5 lovely ways to use a great fetta for entertaining at your next dinner party or soiree.
1. Serve it Straight Up
If you have a good quality fetta cheese it will taste amazing just on its own. You can go traditional Greek-style and drizzle with some really good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of dried oregano served with a beautiful sourdough or toasted ciabatta. Or you can also add it to your cheese plate as it is, rounded out with the sweetness of honey, figs or dates beside it.
2. Marinated
If you are yet to try marinated fetta, then you haven’t lived my friends! And if you have, and you didn’t like it, then you probably need to keep trying. If you have time, you can marinate the fetta yourself – it takes about 48 hours. If you don’t have the time or the inclination, Olympus Cheese also make a marinated fetta. It is a customer favourite, with the creamy fetta balanced by peppercorns, garlic and herbs. Serve marinated fetta as part of an antipasto platter or in a little bowl on the side of your cheese platter, and watch your guests dive in!
Dip it!
Serve a delicious fetta dip alongside some fresh crusty bread pieces or some chunky crackers. We love this lemony beauty from Sweet Paul over at the Food Republic. He aptly declares this lemon and fetta dip the most blogged, pinned and tweeted recipe he has ever created. It involves lemon, fetta, garlic and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Such a simple recipe, but boy is it good! Or you could also try carving out a traditional cob loaf and filling it with a spinach and fetta dip. This one is from the Chef Annabel Langbein and is also lovely with pita or crudites.
Pour over it!
Or why not create a sweet and tangy syrup to smother that creamy fetta? Try our home favourite…capsicum and fetta dip. Take a tin of diced capsicum, some vinegar and some sugar, and boil down until it reaches a syrup consistency. Cut off a wedge of fetta cheese, and pour over the warm syrup just before serving. Or if you haven’t got time for that part, try a balsamic fig glaze to drizzle over.
Have a ball
When you really want to look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen, you can try making a cheese ball. They hold their own when it’s just a small gathering, accompanied by some crackers or pita bread chips. Here is a beautiful fetta cheese ball from the Reluctant Entertainer.
There are so many ways you can use the creamy tangy fetta cheese to bring flavour to entertaining. You can also use it as the base to create some wonderful crostini, or you could try making little spinach and fetta tartlets for a very fancy get together.
Tag us with your creations!
If you are inspired to create something beautiful using Olympus fetta, or any of our cheese range, tag us on Instagram @OlympusCheese we will share the best shots!