Grilled Feta with Blood Orange, Red Pepper and Mint Salsa

By TasteFood • March 2, 2010 • 9 Comments

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Author Notes: This is an iteration of ingredients and flavors we love to eat in our home, especially throughout the summer. In this case, feta is encrusted with toasted spices, drizzled with olive oil and grilled in the oven. It's served warm with a cool salsa of blood oranges, red peppers, onion and mint. It's a wonderful combination of creaminess and crunch, warm and cool. Serve with peasant bread or pita bread to soak up the flavorful oil. - TasteFood

Serves 4

For the salsa:

1 blood orange, skin, seeds and membrane removed, cut in 1/4" pieces
1 small sweet red pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix well to combine.

For the grilled feta:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 pound block of feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh whole mint leaves for garnish

Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with pestle. Add peppercorns. Grind until fine.
Preheat oven broiler. Drain feta and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Pat spices on all sides of feta. Cut in 1/2" slices. Arrange feta slices in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill in oven until edges turn golden.
Arrange slices on a serving plate (or serve directly in baking pan if decorative.) Spoon olive oil around feta. Top feta with salsa. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately with pita bread, crostini or peasant bread.