Don’t you just love the way that sounds? Today I’m cooking for a holiday party. Well, a wedding actually. A casual, buffet style wedding for 35 people. How to feed a crowd economically and yet have amazing flavors? This is one of the bread spreads I’ve been making for quite some time. It was developed for a cookbook I wrote a few years ago, and has evolved since then. It was based on baba ganousch, which I don’t really like. The texture just doesn’t do it for me. So I grilled and chopped and added some feta and sun-dried tomato pesto and came up with this. It can be served with grilled bread, like I’ve done here or probably even better, toasted pita chips. Warm from the oven is best, but for a party, room temperature will do. Anything room temperature works for me. No fussing with heating devices or running back and forth to the kitchen.
I’ve cut down the recipe a bit for you, but it’s easy to double or triple. Leftover spread could easily be made into a soup with the addition of vegetable stock and some garbanzo beans. Just the ticket for the day after.
For older babies, 12 months + , steam 1 oz each of chopped bell pepper, zucchini and eggplant until done. Mix with 1/2 teaspoon sun-dried tomato pesto and 1 teaspoon feta (made from pasteurized milk only), add steaming water if needed, puree until desired consistency.
Feta Bruschetta
Serves 8-10
Prep time: 1 hour
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 large zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
1 onion, cut into quarters
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into quarters
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto, jarred
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and the grill to high. Arrange the sliced vegetables on sheet pans and drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn over with your hands, making sure there is oil on all the surfaces. Grill the vegetables until charred and about half cooked. Chop coarsely and mix together with 6 ounces feta cheese, 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Scrape into a casserole and bake for 30-40 minutes, until hot and cooked through.
Serves 8-10
