Feta Spread

Do you love feta? I do. I'm not much for making appetizer-type dishes usually, but this recipe jumped right off the pages of Southern Living at me a few months ago. I made it for Easter lunch -- a snacky prelude to Easter dinner -- and then made it again last week (to rave reviews) for a luncheon at work. It's delicious and sure to be a hit at your house too!

What you do:
Pulse 8 oz. crumbled feta cheese, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. finely chopped pepperoncini salad peppers, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper in a food processor 6-8 times or until combined, stopping to scrape sides.* Cover and chill two hours before serving. Store in refrigerator up to three days. Garnish with additional crushed red pepper. Serve with crostini or pita chips. (I opted for carrots and flat bread.)

*I had to add a little more olive oil while pulsing the mixture in the food processor to get the spread to the consistency I desired. The extra oil did not seem to hinder the taste in any way!

Recipes from Southern Living, April 2010.