SPICY FETA AND RED PEPPER BRUSCHETTA
GRILLED OR ROASTED red peppers and feta are a duet that takes many different forms in Greece; it appears as a fi lling for stuffed peppers and certain meat dishes, as a dip with chips, and as a spread, as in the following recipe.
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling over bread
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1⁄2 pound Greek feta
- Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce to taste
- 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 baguette, cut on the diagonal into 12 (1⁄3- inch- thick) slices
Instructions:
- Heat the grill to medium.
- Place the red peppers on the grill, turning, for 10 to 14 minutes total, until charred on all sides. Remove, place in a shallow bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and seed in the bowl. Strain the juices and set aside. Cut the peppers lengthwise into strips about 1⁄8 inch thick. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a little salt, and 1 tablespoon oregano.
- Combine the feta, 1⁄4 cup olive oil, Tabasco, pepper juices, black pepper, and lemon juice in a food pro cessor and pulse on and off until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
- Brush the bread slices on both sides with the remaining olive oil. Grill for about 2 minutes per side. Remove.
- Spread each piece of grilled bread with about 1 heaping tablespoon of the whipped spicy feta. Top with a few strips of roasted red pepper and sprinkle with the remaining oregano. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve.