Roasted Tomatoes and Feta with Thyme

I am going to demonstrate the difference between entertaining and drinks in the summer and drinks in the winter.

We had a great time at a Halloween party in our neighborhood a few months back. Because of Covid, it was the first time we had the opportunity to meet many people in our new neighborhood. My husband and I both mingled all night and tried to remember who we met and where they lived. This challenge was made even more difficult by the fact that all the guests were in costumes. One of the neighbors who came to the party wasn’t wearing a costume because they had come to the party after dropping their teenage daughter off at an event. This was the couple that my husband spent the most time talking to and the best part is he could remember what they looked like and where they lived.

A few months later my husband connected with the couple for drinks. He invited them for drinks at 6 p.m. My questions started right away. Does this mean one drink and the couple goes home? Should I have a signature cocktail and some peanuts out? Are they staying longer than one drink and I should have some cheese and appetizers out? Will drinks move into dinner and if it does  – does that mean something sits down that I should prepare for or a frozen pizza? Drinks in the summer feel like a pretty easy affair – drinks in the winter seem more like dinner and that heartier fare is expected.

Well, after spending some time on it I decided to make three dips that would be served with crackers, pita, and veggies and could be hearty enough to withstand a few drinks. White Bean and Goat Cheese Dip was a hit as were the eggplant dip. This Baked Feta with Roasted Tomatoes and Thyme was one of my favorites and allowed me to use yellow cheery tomatoes but after I took the dip out of the oven I added some of my roasted tomatoes from the Hilltop garden for an additional pop of color. 

Let me know which are your favorites!

Roasted Tomatoes and Feta with Thyme

Yield: Serves 6

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Ingredients

• 1 pound feta cheese
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme plus more for stems for garnish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the feta cheese in the center of a 10-inch cast-iron pan.
3. Toss the tomatoes in a bowl with salt, pepper, thyme leaves stripped from 3 stems.
4. Arrange the tomatoes around the feta cheese.
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and feta cheese.
6. Sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes.
7. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
8. Finish by broiling for 4 minutes until the feta turns golden brown on top
9. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

If you like this baked feta and roasted tomato dip, check out all my appetizer recipes!