Whipped Feta Dip with Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes

Name: Whipped Feta Dip with Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes*; 4–6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed; 1/3 cup Heraclea Everyday EVOO, for roasting; 1 pinch salt and freshly cracked black pepper; 8 ounces block feta cheese; 100 grams Greek yogurt; 1 fresh lemon, juiced and zested; 1 teaspoon dried dill; 2 tablespoons Heraclea Mature Harvest EVOO, for the feta

Written by: Cooks of Heraclea

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 9

Whipped feta dip in a shallow bowl topped with jammy olive oil roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, and pooling golden olive oil

This is the dip that empties before anything else on the table. Cherry tomatoes and smashed garlic roast in a generous pour of our Everyday oil until they burst and go jammy at the edges. While they blister, feta and thick yogurt spin in the food processor with lemon, dill, and our Mature Harvest oil — give it a full two to three minutes, until it turns cloud-like. Swoop the feta across a shallow bowl, spoon the warm tomatoes over, and let that garlicky oil pool in. Tear off a piece of baguette and drag it through.

Ingredients:

3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes*
4–6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/3 cup Heraclea Everyday EVOO, for roasting
1 pinch salt and freshly cracked black pepper
8 ounces block feta cheese
100 grams Greek yogurt
1 fresh lemon, juiced and zested
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons Heraclea Mature Harvest EVOO, for the feta

*Cook's note: for the tomatoes, smaller is better. Grape or cherry tomatoes hold their shape and concentrate their flavor in the oven far better than larger varieties, which tend to release more water and can make the dish watery. You want jammy and intense, not soupy.

Steps:

Heat your oven to 400°F (fan on, if you have it). On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and the olive oil for roasting. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the tomatoes are bursting, jammy, and beginning to caramelize at the edges, about 20 minutes.
While the tomatoes roast, add the feta cheese, thick-strained yogurt, lemon juice and zest, dried dill, and the olive oil for the feta to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and cloud-like, scraping down the sides as needed. This takes longer than you think; give it a full 2–3 minutes.
Spread the whipped feta across the base of a shallow serving bowl or plate in a thick, swooping layer. Spoon the roasted tomatoes over, letting their warm, garlicky olive oil pool into the feta beneath.
Serve immediately, while the tomatoes are still warm, alongside a crusty baguette or as a side to grilled meat and vegetables.