Tyrosalata (cheese Spread) With Aromatic Herbs

This is a recipe for a cheese spread with Greek feta cheese and aromatic herbs. It tastes delicious and can be used in many different ways.

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg feta cheese
2. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek or Italian
3. 1 cup fresh oregano leaves
4. 1 cup fresh tarragon leaves
5. 1 cup fresh spearmint leaves
6. (optional) a small quantity of sriratcha (hot chilli sauce) to spice it up

Utensils:

A food processor

Start by washing well the herbs. Then remove the leaves from the stems, throw the stems away and put the leaves into the food processor.

If you grow your own spearmint, as I do, depending on the season you may have lots of flowers. These are also edible, with a taste that resembles that of the leaves without being exactly the same. If you like their taste, there is no reason not to use those too - but remember that they must also be separated from the stems. The same, more or less applies to oregano (its flowers have a spicy taste that otherwise resembles that of the leaves).

Add the oil to the leaves and blend them (yes, they will blend).

Break the feta cheese into small pieces, add half of them to the food processor bowl. Blend everything together.

Add the remaining feta and blend again (my food processor complains if I throw everything in, but behaves better if I add the ingredients a little at a time).

(optional) Add the sriratcha and blend again. Continue until you get a smooth paste.

Empty the tyrosalata into a suitable container and put into the fridge.

Your tyrosalata can be used as a spread, as a dip or as an intermediate material in other preparations. You can use it as a sauce for pasta, add it to cooked meat or use it in a zillion other ways.

If you make this, be sure to tell me how you used it.