AVOCADO OIL MARINATED FETA

Whenever I talk to anyone I know about my avocado oil, they immediately have questions — usually the same few over and over.

“How do you use it?” is one I often get, as well as “So you can use it anywhere you would use olive oil?”

I answer these questions, and have heard things like “But can you use it for [insert cuisine type, usually Italian or Greek, here]?”

The answer to that is, yes, almost certainly. And I’m going to share with you one of those recipes today, for marinated feta.

Typically used in Greek or Mediterranean cooking, feta is salty, crumbly, and full of tangy flavor that pairs nicely with other foods associated with Greek cooking, like olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It’s a necessary addition to a Greek salad, but it’s also a nice addition on a cheese plate.

Sometimes you’ll see marinated feta, usually in olive oil, which makes the crumbly cheese a bit softer, and adds the floral, grassy notes of your oil to the cheese. It’s often got additional flavors as well, like herbs or lemon, which add another dimension to the cheese. I like to make my own, because sometimes store-bought is marinated with a combo of olive and canola oil.

If you’ve never had marinated cheese before, you’re missing out. It’s easy to do, and you can do it with a variety of different cheeses, although a softer cheese is best. Perhaps the best part — it’s so easy to make, although waiting for the flavor to infuse so you can eat it can be torture. You simply cube your cheese, put it in a jar or airtight container, cover it with oil and seasonings, and wait. As far as seasonings go, below is what I used, but feel free to make additions based on your preferences. The only thing I would not add is salt. While I thought a pinch of Colima Sea Salt might be nice here, the cheese is pretty salty on its own, so the salt doesn’t really add to it.

You can eat it within a few hours if you want, but I urge you to wait a day or two before eating it. The longer you wait, the better it will taste. Eat this with olives and cured meat as a snack, add it to a salad, or toss it with some hot pasta. Pretty much anywhere you might eat feta, this will take that dish to a new level.