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Seasonal Sundays (Week 17) for Feta Lovers |  |
Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...
As ever, thank you for welcoming me into your InBox and RSS feed reader. It's your kitchens, your lives, I conjured while hand-picking today's collection of recipes ...
Does anyone else remember their first taste of feta? I do!
I was a year out of high school, living in Finland as an exchange student. My second Finnish "mother" wanted to escape the North's long, dark winter and invited me along on a week-long tour to the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea, some 225 miles off the mainland and a World Heritage Site, thanks to the Colussus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World lost to an earthquake more than 2000 years ago.
At one dinner, the menu was in French. (Who chooses a French restaurant in Greece??? No idea.) I read enough French to translate the menu to English, spoke enough Finnish to explain it to my Finnish tablemates, then translated their decisions back to English, then fumbled around in French to share their orders with our waiter. YIKES.
Anyway. While our table fussed over multi-lingual orders, the waiter delivered a huge platter of grilled artichokes and tomatoes and other vegetables, a creamy feta spread underneath, big chunks sprinkled over top.
That feta was memorable, definitely love at first taste. I'd also fallen in love with a Greek god but that ... as they say ... is another story.
SO WHAT IS FETA, ANYWAY? Feta is the salty, tangy, creamy cheese that originates in Greece (and has protected designation of origin status) but is now produced across the world.
Feta is a fresh cheese, that means it's quite wet, also that the calories aren't so dense which makes it extra enticing for those of us who pay attention to nutrition. (A fresh cheese is aged for a shorter time. Compare it to dense Parmesan, an aged cheese with nearly all its moisture evaporated.)
Traditionally, feta is made with sheep's milk, some times with goat milk mixed in. Feta made in the U.S. is usually made with cow's milk. If you have a good cheese shop or an international grocery handy, check for fetas with different taste profiles. I especially like Bulgarian feta.
Look for whole blocks of feta, especially feta sold in containers with brine. If there's no brine, or if the feta is extra salty, you can keep it fresh by adding a little water to the container.
Feta crumbles are convenient but also dry and to my taste, pallid. Block feta is naturally crumbly, just break it off a section at a time and crumble yourself!
In Praise Of ...
... glass storage containers, especially these 6-cup rectangular Pyrex storage containers with blue lids (affiliate link) that hold just the right amount, stack so well on fridge and cupboard shelves, clean up like a charm in the dishwasher, etc. Over the years, I've purchased several at Target. This year, I started color-coding (a bit) what goes in them, blue lids for cheese (remembered by thinking "blue cheese") and red lids for meat (remembered by "red meat").
I bring this up because with a little surgery, one holds the almost three pounds of feta from Sam's Club that we alllllll-most go through approximately every three weeks. Yeah, we like feta! I think I'll make a little Cucumber Dip!
... are eggs $2 a dozen again? I think so!
Made Me Think ...
A BLESSING for FRIENDSHIPS Regular followers know the inspiration found from writer, thinker and podcaster Emily P. Freeman. This short essay is just lovely, a prayer really, A Blessing for Friendship. She opens with, "For the days when you're grateful for the abundance of rich friendship. And for the days when you question if you have any friends at all ..." Find a quiet moment, let it sink in ...
RELOCATING FOR FAMILY? One time, we were hosting a dinner party, for us, it was a big deal. Then one couple cancelled just a couple of hours before. Why? Their nephew was coming to visit and they hadn't seen him in a year. That nephew lives FORTY MILES AWAY. (No, they've never been invited back.) Part of my husband's California family made a big decision this week: they're leaving the Bay Area to head south to Los Angeles. The draw is family, two daughters and their own families plus her sister and family. It just makes so much sense! Oh to be so close ...
IS KITCHEN PARADE WIKIPEDIA-FAMOUS? Apparently! The latest reference is to our much-beloved Fried Bread (Skillet Toast), slices of hearty bread, toasted in a pan until crisp and golden. See Fried Bread!
A New Feature: "PIN This"
This is for all the Pinterest people among us, a way to quickly PIN Kitchen Parade and A Veggie Venture recipes right to your own Pinterest boards.
Just look for "PIN This" links. Clicking on them should open the exact Pinterest page in the Pinterest app on phones/tablets or the webpage on desktops. Once it's open, you can save to your own Pinterest boards.
If it doesn't work as you expect, would you please let me know? It's a tough one for me to test!
FYI it'll take time to add PIN This links to all my 1600+ recipes but I'm starting here with Seasonal Sundays and of course, new recipes and just-updated recipes. I tell myself, "Patience, Grasshopper.""
May I Suggest ... a Link?
Let me just presume that if you're reading this, well, you're both a cook and a recipe collector. Don't the two kinda go together? And that means you tuck aside interesting recipes all over the place and then, dang, where is that chicken recipe that looked so good anyway? Here's an idea. Start a folder on your phone, call it "Kitchen Parade" or "Alanna" or whatever makes best sense to you. Then save the recipes you're most interested in right there in one place. Easy Peasy.
- Start here?
- Strawberry Recipes
SEASONAL INSPIRATION:
- THE RECIPE Spinach Quiche with Red Pepper & Feta Pretty red & green for holiday brunches or year-round comfort food. (PIN This)
- ANOTHER TAKE Savory Muffins with Sweet Potato & Feta Totally sugar free, studded with roasted sweet potato and creamy feta.
- THE RECIPE Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp The TikTok phenomenon plus shrimp. (PIN This)
- ANOTHER TAKE Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta Shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese.
- THE RECIPE Chicken Greek Salad with Simple Hummus A Quick Supper, just assemble and serve, another good reason to eat at home!
- ANOTHER TAKE Greek Feta Chicken with Curried Rice Just six ingredients and a WW favorite.
- THE RECIPE Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches A towering sandwich, summer style. (PIN This)
- ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce Summery Greek-style chicken sandwich with chunky Greek tzatziki. (PIN This)
- THE RECIPE How to Make a Roasted Beet Salad With a little feta, goat cheese or blue cheese.
- ANOTHER TAKE Roasted Asparagus with Feta Roasted without oil, topped with warm, melty feta.
- THE RECIPE Celery & Chickpea Salad A captivating salad, crunchy celery, creamy chickpeas and tangy feta.
- ANOTHER TAKE Greek Rice Salad with Artichokes & Feta Inexpensive rice packed with vegetables. (PIN This)
- THE RECIPE Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil A sweet 'n' savory summer fruit salad.
- ANOTHER TAKE Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad Pure summer in a bowl!
- THE COLLECTION Feta Recipes Salads to suppers and so much more.
- STILL MORE CHEESES Cheese Recipes Cheddar, Parmesan, Fresh Mozzarella & More.
What's New?!
Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.
- IT'S FOR THE BIRDS Hummingbird Food Just sugar and water in the right ratio. It's fun! (PIN This)
Compliments!
Dang spammers. But I've turned comments back on because I miss hearing from y'all!
- REACTION "Made the sugar cookie bars last night and they are Fantastic!" ~Anonymous
- REACTION "We had the sugar cookie bars last week ... I'd been looking for a recipe like that for years!" ~Anonymous
- THE RECIPE Sugar Cookie Bars Bake, frost and sprinkle all at once. (PIN This)
Looking Ahead ...
- May 1 - May Day
- May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
- May 6 - Derby Day
- May 14 - Mother's Day & Wear the Hat, Dammit: A Mother's Day Essay
- May 29 - Memorial Day
Looking Back ...
- This Same Week in 2020, it's a time capsule. "The coming week will be our seventh in isolation, with at least another four to go. The time seems to pass slowly but it's unbelievable, really, that it's already been so long. The days blur, the timeline is fuzzy."
- Asparagus Season! (Week 16)
- Quick Pickles (Week 15)
- Celebration Breads & Cakes (Week 14)
- Sides for Spring Celebrations (Week 13)
- Cabbage Fever (Week 12 & apparently we're fellow cabbage lovers!)
- Spring Pies & Tarts (Week 11)
- Rotisserie Chicken Recipes (Week 10)
- Dried Beans for Bridge Season (Week 9)
- Breakfast Occasions (Week 8)
- Dinner for ♥♥ (Week 7)
- Winter Salads (Week 6)
- Leaning into Lentils (Week 5)
- Quick Breads (Week 4 & your favorite topic so far this year!)
- Winter Dinners (Week 3)
- Winter Plant-Based Dinners (Week 2)
- A Cozy Cool Down (Week 1)
Just Updated!
- THE RECIPE Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips A simple chopped salad with a creamy Greek dressing. Great crunch! (PIN This)
- TOSSED IN Homemade Greek Salad Dressing
- THE HOW TO Asparagus & Woody Ends (Step-by-Step Photos & Video) (PIN This)
- THE A-Z RECIPES Asparagus Recipes Soups to salads to suppers and still more, the whole collection. (PIN This)
Something to Read
Settling into a book hasn't come easily in recent weeks, no extra reason why, it just is what it is.
But first-time author Vibhuti Jain nailed this for me, the characters were well-developed, the storyline not only plausible but riveting.
Our Best Intentions is a coming-of-age story. The book opens with school violence – because sadly, how coming-of-age is that, right now? – and then explores the many layers of involvement, so many unknowns, so many assumptions, so little imagination. No one is evil. Most everyone has good intentions. It all feels wholly preventable. And yet ...
- THE BOOK Our Best Intentions (affiliate link) by Vibhuti Jain
- BOOK CLUB BOOK IDEAS My Reading Group's Book List since 1994!
- NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.
Don't Be a Stranger ...
I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.
Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.
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2023
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna