Crushed Olives Over Whipped Feta & Ricotta

This versatile dish is the perfect appetizer for a dinner party or cocktail hour, and travels well so you can take it to a potluck, or even enjoy it for lunch at home. It's thrown together rather quickly, but looks gorgeous, and makes a big impression due to its colorful ingredient list and sweet-salty-spicy flavor profile.

Yield: about 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

For the whipped feta & ricotta

• 4-6 oz of feta
• 15 oz of ricotta
• zest and juice of 1 lemon (a Meyer if it’s in season!)
• 1 tsp of honey

For the olive mix

• 6 oz of Castelvetrano olives
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp of honey
• 1 tsp of chili flakes
• 2 tbsp of chopped parsley
• 1 garlic clove
• zest and juice of 1 lemon (a Meyer if it’s in season!)
• 2 tsp capers
• 1 tsp sumac

Method

For the whipped feta & ricotta

Add feta, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey to a blender or food processor and whip until combined and fluffy.

Spread mixture in a serving bowl and refrigerate while making the olive mix.

For the olive mix

Pit the olives and crush or coarsley chop them. Add them to a small mixing bowl with olive oil, honey, chili flakes, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers. Grate garlic clove over the mixture, or mince by hand and add to the mixture. Stir all the ingredients together to combine.

Final assembly

Remove serving bowl from the refrigerator. Spoon olive mix over cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired and sprinkle with sumac. Serve with pita crackers or toasted baguette slices!