This past week my neighborhood organization threw a party in the little park around the corner for all the residents. It was a great way to bring people together who might not otherwise take the time to stop and chat while passing on the street or in the lobby of their building. It was also a beautifully warm summer evening, perfect for hanging around outdoors, nibbling on some food and sipping on a drink. A great local restaurant, the Channel Cafe, set up a grill and was turning out amazing hot dogs topped with cheddar, cajun slaw and bbq sauce - YUM!! Everyone that attended was encouraged to bring some food or drink according to the fliers that were posted around the area in the weeks leading up to the event. An urban pot luck you could say. This obviously got me thinking about what I should bring. Given the somewhat steamy weather and the fact that the food would have to sit out on a table for a few hours, my choices were slightly limited to things that would not spoil in the heat. A quick look on one of my favorite food blogs, SmittenKitchen, gave me a great idea for a funky salsa that uses some of my very favorite foods - feta, olives and sundried tomatoes. This "salsa" is so easy to pull together, just chop and mix. I cut thin slices of a baguette and toasted them in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper as an accompaniment. The bold flavors went over well and my bowl came home from the party empty - the best compliment you can get! I also made my curry chicken spread which I served in little cucumber cups, but more on that later.
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Feta Salsa Ingredients: 1 cup pitted kalamata olives 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil 8 oz. feta cheese 2 scallions 8 large basil leaves fresh ground pepper Instructions: Finely chop the kalamata olives, or pulse in a food processor. You want the olives to be slightly chunky, not a puree. Add the olives to a medium mixing bowl. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and add to the olives. I buy sundried tomatoes that are already julienned so the chopping is minimal. Make sure to get all the oil from the tomatoes into the bowl as it will provide additional flavor and moisture. Crumble the feta cheese and add to the olive and tomato mixture. Chop the scallion in the very thin slices, using the white and light green part but not the ends, and add to the bowl. Finely chop the basil in thin strips. Add the basil and some fresh ground pepper and stir until combined. If you want a "looser" salsa you can add a little additional oil from the sundried tomatoes or some extra virgin olive oil. You should not need to add any additional salt. Serve at room temperature with pita chips or bread slices. This is also great as a sandwich spread.
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Adapted from SmittenKitchen
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