Whipped Feta with Roasted Garlic Tomatoes

whippedfetaroastedgarlictomatoes Your friends and family will love to scoop up the creamy, salty feta cheese whipped into a smooth, dippable appetizer and topped with roasted garlic and blistered cherry tomatoes.

1 head garlic
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 (12 oz) pkg heirloom cherry tomatoes (~ 2 cups)
8 oz feta cheese
¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
⅛ tsp. sea
⅛ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

To Serve:
toasted baguette slices

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and line a baking sheet with foil. Place another smaller sheet of foil on top to make your roasted garlic foil 'pouch'.

Remove the top of the head of garlic. Place of loose sheet of foil and drizzle with ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Fold up the sides of the foil to make a pouch and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

After the garlic has roasted for 20 minutes, set the oven to broil on high. Add the tomatoes to the foil-lined sheet pan. Very carefully unfold the foil pouch - tongs with work best - so that you do not burn yourself on the hot oil.

Add the head of roasted garlic and the oil to the sheet pan. Using a rubber spatula, toss the tomatoes with the oil and lightly season with a sprinkle of salt. Add fresh thyme and red pepper flakes (optional) to the pan. Spoon extra oil on top of the head of garlic. Place the sheet pan under the broiler for 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have blistered and the garlic is soft and slightly browned.

While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare the feta. In a food processor, combine the feta, yogurt and 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season with just a pinch of black pepper. Pulse to combine the ingredients - about 10-12 times - and run on low speed for 10 seconds until creamy.

Spread the feta onto a serving plate. Spoon the blistered tomatoes and about ¾ of the roasted garlic oil on top. Sprinkle the tomatoes with flaked sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Cook's Notes:

This can easily be made in a toaster oven as long as it has a bake and broil function.
If your oven does not have a broil function, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7) and allow a few extra minutes to blister the tomatoes.
If preparing in advance, wait until serving to top the feta with the tomatoes and oil. You can store the feta in the refrigerator but keep the tomatoes and oil out at room temperature.