Heritage tomatoes with whipped feta and oregano oil
- Side
- 6
- 50 minutes plus 20 minutes chilling and macerating time
Celebrate the fantastic variety of mixed heritage tomatoes for your next dinner party and present them proudly as the focal point of a wider spread. So much of the success of presenting salads is about colour contrast, so we’ve served a white whipped feta with a variety of different tomatoes.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
OREGANO OIL
- 1 bunch of oregano, leaves picked
- 150ml of olive oil
TOMATO DRESSING
- 200g of tomatoes
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
WHIPPED FETA
- 400g of feta
- 200g of Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zested, plus 1 tbsp juice
- 80ml of olive oil
TOMATOES
- 1.2kg tomatoes, ideally a variety of colours, sizes and shapes
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
TO FINISH
- 1 sprig of oregano, leaves picked
- 1 sprig of basil, leaves picked
- 10g of pine nuts
- black sesame seeds
Method
For the oregano oil, bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the oregano leaves for 10 seconds, then immediately refresh in iced water. Squeeze dry thoroughly
- 1 bunch of oregano, leaves picked
Blend the blanched oregano with the olive oil and a pinch of fine sea salt until completely smooth and vibrant green. Pass through a fine mesh sieve (or a sieve lined with a muslin cloth), squeezing gently to keep the oil clear. Set aside in the fridge until needed
- 150ml of olive oil
For the tomato dressing, place the tomatoes in a blender with the shallot, vinegar and honey. Blend until smooth, then add in the olive oil in a slow steady stream to emulsify. Season to taste, then pass through a fine sieve to achieve a silky dressing. Set aside in the fridge until needed
- 200g of tomatoes
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
For the whipped feta, place the feta, yoghurt, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper into a blender or food processor. Blitz until smooth, then add in the olive oil in a slow steady stream to create a light, airy emulsion. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed (you may not need much as the feta is salty). Transfer to a bowl and cover and chill for 20 minutes to firm up slightly
- 400g of feta
- 200g of Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zested, plus 1 tbsp juice
- 80ml of olive oil
Slice the mixed heritage tomatoes into a mix of wedges, slices and halves depending on their size – a variation keeps things interesting
- 1.2kg tomatoes, ideally a variety of colours, sizes and shapes
Place them in a large bowl and season with the flaky salt, sugar, vinegar and olive oil. Toss gently to combine then leave to sit for 15 minutes to macerate
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
When ready to serve, remove the oregano oil, tomato dressing and whipped feta from the fridge to let them warm up a little
Spoon the whipped feta onto a large serving platter and generously arrange the dressed tomatoes over the top. Spoon over the tomato dressing and finish with the oregano and basil leaves, pine nuts, a drizzle of oregano oil, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and black pepper. Great with courgettes, a chickpea salad and za’atar flatbreads
- 1 sprig of oregano, leaves picked
- 1 sprig of basil, leaves picked
- 10g of pine nuts
- black sesame seeds
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