A fresh Greek mezze recipe for spring

by Oracle Oil Admin

WHIPPED FETA + MINT FOR A ROASTED BEET REFRESH

It’s technically spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, and while we wish it was time for pickled ramps and rhubarb hand pies, we’re just not quite there yet! It’ll likely be a few more weeks before the farmers markets start bursting at the seams with bounty.

Our suggestion? Transition your trusty roasted veg recipes from winter to spring with the addition of fresh herbs (luckily, available to many of us year-round) and bright, olive-oil infused whipped dressings and dips. 

Greek mezze platters often feature a mix of hot and cold dishes, and we’re taking the liberty here to encourage you to serve these fresh takes on roasting either chilled or at room temp! The warming weather is all the more reason to pick a cloudy day to do a big batch of roasting, then serve straight from the fridge for the rest of the week.

Here’s one of our favorite examples from the spring Oracle Oil recipe repertoire:

ROASTED BEETS OVER WHIPPED FETA

Ingredients
• 2 lbs loose beets
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn


Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F degrees. Wash beets and cut off the tops and tails. Wrap tightly in one layer of parchment paper, followed by an outer layer of aluminum foil, and set in a baking dish. Roast for 1 hour. Remove baking dish from oven and allow beets to cool.

  2. While beets are cooling, make the white balsamic reduction. Add white wine vinegar and honey to a small saucepan, whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until the liquid comes to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until reduced to 1/4 cup. The mixture should be thickened and lightly coat the back of a spoon when adequately reduced. Remove from heat and allow to cool. The reduction will thicken more as it cools.

  3. For the whipped feta: simply add Greek yogurt and broken chunks of feta to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and aerated.

  4. Once beets are cool enough to handle, remove the aluminum foil and peel the skins of the beets away. Slice beets into ½ in segments  and serve over whipped feta with a drizzle of white balsamic reduction, extra virgin olive oil and torn mint leaves.