Greek Mezze Platter Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten
Show: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
Episode: Cooking for Jeffrey: Back to School Surprise

Total:4 hr 15 minActive: 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients

Marinated Herbed Feta, recipe follows
6 roasted red peppers, store-bought
8-10 stuffed grape leaves, store-bought
1 cup hummus, store-bought
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
Good olive oil
Toasted Pita Chips, for serving, recipe follows
4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Marinated Herbed Feta:
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds Greek feta, drained and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup green olives with pits, such as Cerignola
1/2 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted Pita Chips:
4 loaves pita bread

Directions

Artfully arrange the marinated feta, red peppers, stuffed grape leaves and a small bowl filled with the hummus on a platter. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the hummus and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the pita chips on the platter and arrange the sprigs of thyme over the red peppers, for decoration.

Marinated Herbed Feta:
Combine the dried thyme, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Lay the feta slices overlapping on a 9 × 9-inch square serving plate.

Sprinkle the feta with the entire herb mixture. Nestle the thyme sprigs and olives among the feta slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.

"Make It Ahead" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2014. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

Toasted Pita Chips:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the pita bread into 8 triangles and place them on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and toast the bread for 10 minutes.