Marinated Olives and Feta

Marinated Olives and Feta

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted castelvetrano olives, lightly crushed
• 1 lemon, zested
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-2 sheets of feta, broken into large pieces (about 10 ounces)
• Grilled bread for serving

Instructions

1. Place the olives in a bowl with the lemon zest.
2. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the olive oil, whole garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes, sliced shallot and thyme. Cook until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add the crushed olives and lemon zest and let steep for 1 hour. Pour oil over the feta at least 20 minutes before serving. (can be combined to marinate for up to 48 hours)
3. Serve with grilled thinly sliced bread for an appetizer