Grilled Veggie and Feta Cheese Sandwiches

Using Feta Cheese

For May 19, 2011

You know a food is good when people have been eating it for millennia. Like feta cheese, created centuries ago by Greek sheepherders as a way to preserve milk.

Feta isn’t a particularly sophisticated or complex cheese and you don’t have to go to a fancy store to find it. In fact, it’s usually at the deli bar of your local supermarket or packaged and sold alongside the more commonplace Muenster and American cheeses.

But you wouldn’t want to be without it.

Feta is what adds the characteristic tang to Spinach Pie and Greek Salad and to dozens of other dishes that star by adding just a few crumbles but would taste flat without it.

Just how useful can feta be?

Let’s start with salads. Now that the weather is getting warmer you might want to consider serving beefsteak tomato slices and robust greens such as arugula with crumbled feta drizzled with dressing and sprinkled with chopped fresh oregano. Most light, summer vegetables -- zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers – also do well as counterparts for feta; grill the veggies, and while still warm toss them with the cheese; trickle a little olive oil and lemon juice on top, and maybe some fresh thyme or dill.

Just a half cupful of crumbled feta is the perfect salty partner for sweet, cooled roasted beets too: splash with white wine vinaigrette and fresh dill. Or mix some feta with cooked whole grains, such as farro or bulgur wheat, add fresh chopped veggies (scallions, carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, avocado and so on) and cloak with vinaigrette. Salad possibilities are endless.

You don’t typically see feta cheese served on a cheese board. Yet, if you’re having company over and need some quick hors d’oeuvre, it’s good to know that feta can be handy here too. Add deli items (marinated artichokes, olives, roasted peppers, sliced salami and such) and you’ll have a swell spread (you can dress the feta with olive oil and fresh herbs to give it some color and extra flavor). With just a bit more fuss, you can mix canned beans with tomatoes, olives and feta, pour in some olive oil and spoon the ingredients over toasted baguette slices to make bruschetta. And if you have some extra time, try your hand at Tiropitas, which are Greek-style, cheese-filled phyllo triangles baked to golden, crispy brown (you can make these in advance and freeze them for months).

Oh, the many virtues of feta cheese!

Sprinkle some into scrambled eggs, frittatas or an omelet. Spoon some on top of a baked potato or steamed string beans. Stuff some into a sandwich of grilled vegetables (but remember, feta is not a “melting” cheese so you won’t be able to make grilled cheese sandwich with it).

Which kind of feta should you buy? This can be confusing. Classic feta is a white, fresh sheep milk (or sheep plus goat milk) cheese that has been brined in salt water. It is considered a soft cheese, although some are firm and on the dry side, and it is sold in chunks. Variations in flavor and texture have to do with the type of milk used, the saltiness of the brine and the country of origin. Most often you will see Greek feta as well as Bulgarian, French, Israeli and American. As a general matter, here are the differences:

Greek: at least 70% sheep milk; sometimes as much as 30% goat milk; crumbly, tangy and salty

Bulgarian (sometimes called Sirene): sheep milk; sometimes “herbaceous;” milder, creamier and less salty than Greek feta

Israeli: sheep milk, tangy

French: sheep or goat milk; milder than Greek, Bulgarian and Israeli types; goat versions are drier.

American: cow, sheep or goat milk; tangy but milder than other types, crumbly

Whatever type feta you buy, store it in the refrigerator in a container with the briny liquid and it can last for several weeks. Steve Jenkins, the cheese Guru (“Cheese Primer” (Workman, 1996)) suggests rinsing off the brine before using feta. You can also store the cheese in milk to counteract the saltiness.