Produce with Amy

“The tradition of the Sunday feast accomplishes more than just feeding us. It nurtures us.” ― Chef John Besh

As I write this, I feel a sense of disbelief that we are well into autumn. September seemed to rush by. This summer our teenage son Lukas got his first job and is playing junior varsity football. So we have been running back-and-forth with practices, team dinners, games, and work. Even though he is only fourteen he is learning all about the delicate balance between academics, athletics, employment, and having downtime to relax. In addition, our daughter Avalon, is a senior in high school. Since she is in middle college she is dual enrolled, and takes classes at Northern Michigan University and also works a job. We are immensely proud of both of our kids and try our best to support them as they navigate important life choices.

No matter how busy we are, we continue to try to make time for Sunday Family Dinner. While I make our favorites, I love to fill our dining table with a few new offerings. While I enjoy coming up with my own creations, sometimes I see something on social media that I have to try. Today is one of those recipes that I kept seeing different variations of and had to try.

Some versions of this recipe that I have seen online incorporate roasted tomatoes and other vegetables (mushrooms, artichokes, carmelized onions) as a topping. However, I decided to top it with roasted olives and sundried tomatoes. The result was a robust and savory treat that made a wonderful dip for toasted pita bread. This spread would make a delightful addition to a holiday charcuterie board and would be great with crackers, raw vegetables, and would be a great partner to fruit such as figs, grapes, or winter citrus.

Creamy Feta Spread with Roasted Olives & Sundried Tomatoes

*1 eight ounce block of feta cheese
*1 brick of cream cheese (soften to room temperature)
*½ cup of sour cream (could substitute plain Greek yogurt)
*2 cloves of minced garlic
*juice and zest of one lemon
*1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (more depending on level of heat)
*3 Tablespoons of olive oil
*2 Tablespoons of honey
*1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
*¼ cup of finely chopped onion
*½ cup of sundried tomatoes
*1 cup of olives (I used a combination of kalamata and green) You can cut in 1/2 or chop or leave whole.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a baking dish toss the olives, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and onion in a Tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes.

Using a food processor, or mixer, whip up the feta, cream cheese, and sour cream. Add the minced garlic, chili flakes, lemon juice, and zest. You can add a little water to make it more creamy.  Spread in a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes. *Note – baking is optional. You could also serve cold with the warm toppings.

After the cheese is warmed, top with the olive and tomato mixture. Drizzle with honey and olive oil. Serve with toasted pita bread (I like to toast in the air fryer).

I will definitely be making this recipe again and think it would be perfect for the upcoming holidays. It can be made ahead of time since it’s great served both warm and cold.

Winter will soon be upon us soon, so wholesome food is an important part of nourishing our bodies to stay healthy.

As busy as life is, I hope you can find time to make a homemade meal and share it with someone that you love. It is important for us to take care of ourselves, and each other!