If treated well, watered and shaded from excess heat, tomatoes can grow well into November and December in Ventura County. In fact, some varieties are really just starting to ripen in early “fall.” Whipped feta has been trending lately on certain social media platforms, so we thought we would create our take on it. This recipe uses the abundance of tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market and pairs the sweet roasted fruit with a creamy, lemony whipped feta, perfect for an afternoon snack, party dish or dinner appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh cherry tomatoes (or 2–4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 head garlic
- 2–4 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 6 ounces feta, drained
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sourdough baguette sliced into ½-inch slices and oven toasted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In an 8- by 8-inch roasting pan, spread tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan. Trim about ¼ off the root end of the garlic head and place it cut side up in the middle of the tomatoes. Place fresh thyme in with the tomatoes (or sprinkle dried thyme over all tomatoes and garlic). Drizzle olive oil liberally over tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40–50 minutes, until tomatoes have begun to burst and garlic is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Extract roasted garlic from the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork (or to a chop board and dice).
In a food processor, add crumbled feta cheese, cream cheese and lemon zest. Process on low while drizzling in the ¼ cup of olive oil about a tablespoon at a time until mixture is creamy. Transfer to a small serving dish and smooth the mixture to cover most of the plate.
Spoon the tomatoes over the cheese mixture, sprinkle the garlic all around on the tomatoes and then drizzle with the remaining oil and juices from the pan. Garnish with more fresh thyme and serve immediately with the toasted baguette.
