What to do with feta cheese

When my daughter came to visit this summer, I started using my Safeway rewards program more. Among the items included was a free container of parmesan cheese. When I got to Safeway, however, all the containers of parmesan cheese were gone. When I was asked about it, I was told I could substitute feta cheese instead.

I thought my daughter would be excited about the feta cheese. However, she and the kids are big eaters of parmesan and weren’t interested. When they left for home, there the feta cheese was – in the back of the refrigerator.

So, I had to figure out what to do with feta cheese before it spoiled. I put it on the top of a green pepper casserole that I make every summer. However, the feta cheese didn’t melt as well as the other cheeses I’d used when I made the casserole. Maybe that’s because it was about two months old by the time I’d use it.

Originally from Greece, feta is a soft cheese made from sheep’s milk that is cured in salty whey and brine. It’s white, has a crumbly texture, and is often sold in square cakes with no rind.

Because feta crumbles easily, it works well in salads and on pizzas and flatbreads.

When used in uncooked dishes, feta should be served at room temperature to get the best flavor. Feta also can be served as an appetizer with crusty bread, olives, and sliced meats. It also can be made into a dip by adding lemon juice and oil.

Feta melts quickly in hot dishes and can be used to replace other cheeses in hamburgers, especially lamb burgers.

Feta production begins by adding rennet and casein to a vat filled with sheep’s milk, or a blend including goat’s milk. After the milk thickens, the curd is cut and put into a mold to drain off excess whey. After its firm, it’s cut again, salted, and placed in barrels. Usually sold in blocks, the Feta is shipped sealed or in tubs containing some of the brine.

At supermarkets, the cheese is cut and sold directly from the container, or blocks are packaged in sealed plastic cups with some brine. Feta dries quickly even when refrigerated. If stored for more than a week, it should be kept in brine or in lightly salted milk.