Baked Feta Tomatoes and Olives

Once in a while you stumble upon something that’s so easy and delicious it instantaneously becomes part of the rotation; this baked feta is one of those. I discovered it on Smitten Kitchen and it would be a great starter to any meal…romantic or otherwise.

Preheat your oven to 400. In a large bowl combine a heaping handful of halved grape tomatoes, some chopped Kalamata olives, a minced shallot, a minced garlic clove, a little chopped parsley, a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil as well as some kosher salt and black pepper.

Place a whole block of feta, preferably Maplebrook, in the center of an oven proof dish then top with your tomato mixture and bake for 20 minutes. The feta should be soft enough to easily schmear on crackers or a sliced baguette.