Mint and Pistachio Whipped Feta

As a Greek American, I am cute in feta cheese. I know it’s a bit of an “I love it” or “hate it” food, but I’m squarely in the “love it” camp, and part of my goal today is to convert you to the wonders of the beautiful, wide world of this dairy product. unique perfume. That said, I completely understand why some people don’t like it. The smell can be intense and the presentation disarming. Sometimes it comes in one big lump, sometimes it’s crumbled into little dry, rubbery pieces, sometimes it’s floating in a bath of suspiciously cloudy liquid. What gives??? Well, although you’re probably familiar with the crumbly kind, and you*May* Even if you’re familiar with the chunky pickled kind, allow me to introduce you to the whipped kind. Yes, if you put feta in a food processor with yogurt and olive oil, it turns into a soft, delicious, cheesy spread. And you can add a wide assortment of other flavors to that spread, which is how I got this herb-mint-pistachio whipped feta, inspired by the flavors and colors of spring.

There’s something about the light, refreshing flavor of mint that compliments AS crazy with the bold, creamy flavor of feta, and when you add the sweet nuttiness of pistachio, you basically get concentrated magic in food form. As for feta cheese, I’m sure there is a technical classification for feta somewhere in some cheese training program, but the system I learned from my family’s Greek deli is based on the country of origin. French feta is delicate, creamy and not very original, while Bulgarian feta is Very (!!!) tangy, tangy and tangy, and Greek feta is the happy medium between the two. For eating sliced, or in a feta spread like this, I prefer French feta, but when it comes to cooking I prefer Greek feta, because you can really get that distinctive feta flavor even after baking it or adding it to a salad with a bunch of other ingredients. And Bulgarian feta is great if you want the feta flavor to be the star of the show in whatever you’re making, and don’t mind a little funk.

As for how to use whipped feta, there are several ways to use this stuff. I like to use it on avocado toast and a fried egg for breakfast. And also Great on sandwiches and wraps, and it’s a nice addition to hot pasta as it melts and coats all the noodles. And then there is a more traditional use, simply enjoying it as an appetizer together with pita, crackers or naan bread. If you make it ahead of time, though, keep in mind that the cream will firm up a bit in the fridge after it’s made, so if you want it to be easily “diptable” for guests or a cheese board, make sure you take it out 30 minutes beforehand. serve so that the sauce can soften a little. There’s nothing sadder than a cracker broken in half and secretly abandoned in the bowl of dip. And if you really want to spice up your cheese board, you might want to take a look at your marinated cheese options. Have fun, my friends!

A Greek’s advice for the perfect whipped feta

1. Use feta cheese that comes in a block – Please, please, *Please* do not use pre-crumbled feta. It blasphemes cheese and spits in the eyes of Greeks everywhere. Feta is supposed to be a wet cheese, which is why it should be stored in one solid piece submerged in brine (aka salty, cloudy water). AND AS wonderfully creamy this way. When it’s pre-crumbled, however, it is Very dries out and doesn’t mount properly. Be sure to purchase feta cheese in a block and liquid brine, in a solid plastic case, or in a vacuum package. Something similar to This OR This works great.
2. Use full-fat Greek yogurt – Using full fat yogurt will definitely help incorporate more air bubbles into the fat particles and give it a lighter, whipped texture. Whether you want to use low-fat or fat-free yogurt is totally up to you, just know that the texture may be a little heavier and less whipped.
3. Add the olive oil while the food processor is running – When you add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream while the food processor is mixing, it allows the olive oil to emulsify and creates even more of that light and airy creamy texture within the feta cream mounted.
4. Blend the hard ingredients first – If you want to incorporate hard or crunchy ingredients (like nuts), I recommend blending them first until they are well blended Very smooth and then add the rest of the ingredients. This way you’ll be less likely to get little hard nuts or bits of veggies in your whipped feta and everything will be nice and smooth!