There is nothing better than a sturdy, autumnal pumpkin dish, and Halloween is the perfect day to transform the gourd into a ghoulish dish. Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter and Feta from Reclaiming Provincial stars homemade, pillowy gnocchi fried in sage brown butter until golden and crisp. A final sprinkle of crumbled feta lends a smooth and humble tang.
Scandi Foodie‘s Eggplant and Lentil Stacks are vegetarian, gluten-free, and packed with layer after layer of flavor. Stack seared slices of eggplant with tender lentils and crumbly feta, then top off the pile with a handful of arugula for a peppery final kick. Serve these stacks as an all-star main dish or as a simple side salad at your next holiday bash.
If you made my honey cake and have some extra honey around, here’s a super easy appetizer that works its charms year-round. Feta cheese drizzled with honey. Sound appealing? OK, I’ll fess up. The first time I heard about it, I thought it was weird, too.
Then I remembered how much I love that Southern favorite, a block of cream cheese topped with a jar of pepper jelly, all drippy and gooey and smeared on crackers, and I started coming around. Cheese plates in restaurants are often served with a dainty dollop of some rare berry jam or conserve. And it works, because salty and sweet have always had a thing for each other.
So I wiped the milky brine from a slab of feta—I’m rather partial these days to French feta, but hey, grab what you can find—and set it on a plate. Then I coarsely cracked some peppercorns with a mortar and pestle and added them to some good local honey. I figured the peppercorns would take it in a more savory direction. You could add a little chopped fresh rosemary, too, but I’d warm the honey in that case, to take the piney edge off the herb. Drizzle it over the feta and flank it with some rustic toasted bread or crackers, then dig in. I bet you’ll agree it’s pretty darn good. Perhaps sublime? Better have another toast and see.
