Streamed green beans with feta, lemon zest and olive oil. / Photo by Stephanie Sedgwick.
MY DINNER STRATEGY starts and ends with having plenty of ingredients on hand. If I have a few key items I can always make dinner. In the summer, feta is one of those must-haves.
When, I come home from the farm market with a bag full of tomatoes, it’s time for angel hair pasta, tomato and feta salad with lemon zest and juice, lots of olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper
Or, when it’s green beans I’ve picked up, I make a simple salad from steamed green beans mixed with lemon zest, crumbled feta, olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper.
How about summer squash? Slice the squash lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just tender. Slice into thick matchsticks and toss with fresh chopped herbs, crumbled feta, a splash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper.
Need a dish for a potluck? One of my alltime favorites is couscous with chickpeas, feta and scallions. Cook the couscous and fluff according to package directions. Mix with cooked or rinsed canned chickpeas, sliced scallions, crumbled feta, chopped parsley and/or dill, plus lemon juice and zest, olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper.
And yes, I use a lot of lemon. Lemon + Feta = Good.
How about a quick hors d’oeuvre? Open up a pita loaf and separate it into two single-layer rounds and cut each round into bite-size pita chips. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Pop into a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes. Toss diced tomatoes with salt, pepper, a little olive oil and some chopped basil. Take the pita chips out of the oven, top with each with some of the tomato mixture and some crumbled feta. Place the pan back in the oven, raise the heat to 400 degrees, and bake until the feta just starts to brown.
—Stephanie Witt Sedgwick
LittleBird “Stephanie Cooks” keeps those meal ideas coming, every Monday.
wonderful easy summer recipes. thanks!!