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Feta and Pistachio with Black Pepper: A Turkish Meze

Posted on August 6, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Turkish Style Feta and Pistachio Meze

Cheese at the Fethiye Market

Sliced Cucumbers Separate These Mezes

This creamy spread for bread is another meze I discovered in Istanbul. It’s a quick dinner party appetizer too. I never saw the word feta in Turkey; only cheese. Feta means slice, so feta is probably our interpretation. Their “feta like” cheese is always white, but creamier and less tart. When I developed this recipe I added yogurt to a nice quality Bulgarian feta from our local cheese and wine shop, Eastman Party Store. Eastman’s has made the world of difference in our lives in Midland, Michigan. It has more international flair than any other local shop!
I’ve also made this with the Presidents brand feta which was great too!

You can make this as thin and creamy as you like. A spoonful maintains it’s shape, but it can definitely be spread on a slice of French like baguette. Add more yogurt if you like. Have fun with this new combination of ingredients! Use all 4 teaspoons of the black pepper! It’s the key in this recipe!

As it sits in the frig it may dry out a bit. Add more yogurt to keep it spreadable. It stores well up to a week.

In a small bowl combine with a spoon until well blended.

8 ounces whole milk feta, cut into tiny squares

6 oz or about 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

4 teaspoons black pepper

1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt

Add more yogurt for a creamier consistency. Spread on Naan, a Middle Eastern flatbread

All the ingredients you’ll need. Notice the bag of shelled pistachios!

Feta sliced into 1/4 inch cubes

Roughly chopped pistachios

The feta and pistachios

A brand of yogurt very close to the Turkish yogurt in Istanbul

The nutrition label of the whole milk Greek yogurt. 14 grams of fat is about a tablespoon per cup

Roasted Red Pepper and Tahini Meze

Posted on July 31, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Roasted Red Pepper with Tahini, Garlic and Parsley

I spent 3 magnificent weeks in Turkey and Greece this summer and want to share some of the delicious mezes with you. These are small plates of foods eaten before or instead of the main dish. Similar to the Spanish style tapas, mezes are served on small plates which can be shared or eaten in any number, hot or cold.

The Roasted Red Pepper with Tahini is surprising and very tasty. Tahini is ground sesame seeds and usually is a small ingredient when making hummus, but in this meze it is more predominant. You can add these ingredients to your own taste, but here is my interpretation.

In a small bowl place:

2 cups roasted red peppers, diced (bottled and preserved in water or fresh made)

In an even smaller bowl combine:

1/2 cup tahini

1 clove garlic, minced (not too much)

1/2 cup minced flat leafed parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the tahini mix to the peppers and serve at room temperature. Make ahead if you need.

You can eat this plain or place it on French style bread. The Turkish bread is called Naan. It is an oval shaped bread similar to pita or a tortilla. When it is freshly made it is presented at the table puffy and full of air. It soon collapses and can be torn to eat with your food. I am not enclosing the Naan recipe here, but someday I will try it! Here are some pics though 🙂

You can buy Naan at many grocery store delis.