Savory Baked Feta finds 2 new local fans

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When I spotted my neighbor’s Aunt Betty out on her nephew’s porch, I offered her some Baked Feta, fresh from the Times Leader Test Kitchen oven, and it was gratifying to see how much she enjoyed it.

“You want a commentary?” she said. “I love it!”

“The chickpeas are so healthy! And it’s a good way to eat more kale! And the tomato sauce is delicious!” she said, naming the ingredients that surrounded the feta.

“I love it, too,” I said as the two of us stood there on the porch, singing the praises of the Baked Feta recipe I’d found at a food blog called Love and Lemons.

I’m glad I was able to share that joyful moment with Charlie’s Aunt Betty — because my other taste testers were notably less than enthusiastic. My mom thought “that cheese was too salty” and Mark said “the kale was too hard to chew.”

“But I massaged the kale!” I said, insisting that I had followed my sister’s tip to de-stem and rub olive oil and lemon juice (or vinegar) into each leaf.

“Probably not enough,” Mark said.

Sigh. I made this dish because I wanted to use up the feta left over from Mark’s Shrimp Saganaki. In that respect, mission accomplished. But maybe I could have been more vigorous in my kale massaging, which is supposed to make each leaf softer and tastier. Or maybe I could have searched more thoroughly for the lacinato kale the recipe mentions, instead of using the curlier kale, which was the first one I spotted at the supermarket.

I don’t think I could have made the feta less salty; it’s just a salty cheese, traditionally stored in brine.

Anyway, here is the recipe, from Love and Lemons, where many home cooks have posted favorable comments about it. They recommend it; so do Aunt Betty and I.

BAKED FETA

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin)

1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and torn into bite sized pieces

2 cups tomato sauce, or marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

1 12-ounce block of feta, cut into 1/2-inch planks

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

warm pita or baguette, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a 10 or 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle gently for a minute or two. Add the kale in batches, letting each handful shrink and wilt before adding the next.

When the last of the kale has wilted, add the tomato sauce, chickpeas, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water. Stir and let it come to a simmer.

Nestle the feta slices into the sauce and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until the feta has softened, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes and serve with warm pita and lemon wedges