We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the TikTok baked feta and tomato pasta, the recipe that caused an international feta stampede. Google Trends, which tracks search volume, shows a near-vertical spike 12 months ago in the number of searches for “feta.” As a feta fanatic, I’m a little saddened to see that the line crashed as quickly as it rose. But maybe the craze introduced a lot more people to this endlessly useful cheese.
January is not the month to pair feta with fresh tomatoes, in my opinion —at least not in my hemisphere. But it’s a great time to enjoy it on cooked greens (chard, beet greens, broccoli rabe) and in winter salads.
Source: Google Trends
On a trip to Greece a few years ago, I took a feta-themed cooking class at Smaragda Makris’s Marmita Cooking Lab in Thessaloniki. I loved the salad she made with arugula, heaps of fresh herbs, chickpeas, green olives and feta. With a storebought roast chicken and a pile of warm pita or pita chips, it’s an easy dinner.
I’ve adapted the Marmita salad, as cooks do. Makris’s version included pomegranate seeds, and her dressing had cider vinegar and honey. I’d say the only “musts” are a good creamy Greek feta or the French Valbreso and a generous hand with the herbs.
Arugula and Herb Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
Dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salad:
¾ cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, but rinse first)
3 to 4 handfuls baby arugula or salad mix (about 3 ounces)
1/2 large fennel bulb, shaved or very thinly sliced
1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved or quartered
1/3 cup sliced green onions
Cilantro leaves, dill sprigs and small mint leaves, stems removed
3 to 4 ounces feta, crumbled
Aleppo pepper, optional
In a small bowl, whisk together the wine vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil and whisk vigorously until well blended.
Put the chickpeas in a salad bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the dressing and stir to coat. Add the arugula, fennel, olives and onions, then add as much of the herbs as you like but be generous. Add just enough dressing to coat the salad lightly; you may not need it all. Toss gently, then add the feta and a pinch of Aleppo pepper if you want some heat and toss again. Taste and correct for salt and vinegar. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
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