Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Feta Fournou (Baked Feta) and Salata Marouli (Lettuce Salad): Simple Greek Fare


Coming back from a trip and trying to get back in the groove of things always makes me tired. It also makes me crave simple food like this little combination dinner of Feta Fournou (Baked Feta); slightly salty and creamy spread on warm pita and slice seeded baguette, partnered with Salata Marouli, a very basic salad of Romaine lettuce, dill and red onion. These recipes both some from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros, and they are also my entry for Peasant Food, our theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Peasant food means rustic dishes made with a few readily accessible, usually inexpensive ingredients, and these two recipes are a great and delicious example.


Kiros says, "This is nice made in small individual ceramic dishes. Mine are flat and about 4 1/4-inches in diameter and 1 1/4-inches high. Serve hot with bread."

Feta Fournou (Baked Feta)
Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 2, or 4 as Part of a Meze)

7 oz feta, crumbled
1 1/2 oz green sweet pepper, finely sliced (about 1 small)
1/2 small tomato, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 good pinches of dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Divide the feta between 2 small shallow ceramic dishes. Scatter the green pepper over the top and then the tomato over the pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil, crumble the oregano in and top with a good grind of black pepper. Bake until a bit crusty on the sides, about 20 minutes.



Kiros says, "So plain yet so good, and it goes well with many things. One of the plain salads always available in Greece. Use best-quality extra virgin olive oil."

Salata Marouli (Lettuce Salad)
Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6 to 8)

14 oz Romaine lettuce
2 Tbsp chopped dill
1 1/2 oz green onion or red onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 large lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the lettuce, shake it dry, then shred the leaves. Pat them dry with paper towels. Put in a bowl with the dill and onion. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice just before eating. Add salt and pepper and toss lightly.


Notes/Results: A very easy to make dinner with bright flavors--perfect for enjoying while unwinding after a long day with a glass of wine. Both dishes have five ingredients not counting salt and pepper, and they go together quickly. Prepare the salad and warm and slice the bread while the feta bakes and it is on the table in under 30 minutes. The feta is of course as wonderful as you would imagine baked feta to be and it is delicious on the bread. The salad seems a little basic, but it tastes fresh and bright with the lemon and dill and goes perfectly with the baked feta. I would make both dishes again.

You can check out what the other IHCC participants made for Peasant Food week by going to the post and following the links.

10 comments:

  1. That feta dip sounds delicious! No bread needed, just hand over a spoon!

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  2. What a great choice for our theme this week! I can't wait to try it!

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  3. Mmmm...this sounds fantastic. I have it marked to try, as well. Your pictures only reinforce the fact that I neeeed to make it :D

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  4. I imagine the dill in this salad is great! And the baked feta...oh yeah! I'm making that one for sure.

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  5. Wasn't that baked feta delicious? We really liked it...then I had some left so I threw it on top of some lettuce and it worked great as a salad as well...your salad looks so fresh and lovely...nice photo of it all.

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  6. Mmmm, what a treat! I love feta and I love the elegant simplicity of this meal.

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  7. This sounds like it would be perfect for a light meal.

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  8. That baked feta dish looks and sounds absolutely marvelous!

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  9. I heart baked feta,so dang much.

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