I love feta cheese. But not the kind that comes crumbled in a little plastic tub. No, I prefer the tangy sheep’s milk feta that is sold unadorned, floating in its own pool of brine. I nearly always have a bit of this cheese in the fridge because it pairs up so well with salad greens, but I also often use it as the base in a very simple, but seriously delicious, appetizer. This dish comes together a little different every time, but it is always very, very good.

Feta Marinated in Olive Oil and Herbs

* Pop out into the garden and snip a big handful of your favorite herbs. I like to mix and match thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, and savory. Basil is delicious, too, but I think it tastes best all by itself. Roll the herbs back and forth between your palms to crush their leaves and release their essential oils. Sometimes I then strip the leaves off of their stems, sometimes I don’t.

* Slice a hunk of sheep’s milk feta into ½ inch cubes.

* Select a cute container that is deeper than it is wide. Place a layer of feta in the bottom of the container. Sprinkle the cheese with red pepper flakes and a good grind of black pepper and then cover it up with a light layer of herbs. Repeat until the container is full.

* Pour a good extra virgin olive oil over the cheese, until all but the top layer is completely submerged. Set the container aside and let the cheese marinate at room temperature for at least two hours (though 6 or 8 is better). Stir the cheese occasionally during that time. Serve with bread and crackers and be sure to include a spoon so you can drizzle extra olive oil over the cheese.

I made this dish for the dinner party I posted about yesterday, and by the end of the evening there was nothing left. A good sign, I always think. If you decide to bring this dish to one of the many holiday parties that lay ahead, don’t let any leftover olive oil go to waste. During the party, Julie (from La Medusa) used the herb infused olive oil to dress the zucchini cruda, but it also tastes divine drizzled over roasted vegetables!

Thanks to Jim Henkens for sharing photos of my marinated feta. To see more photos from the dinner party, click here and be sure to check out Jim’s website www.jimhenkens.com.