COUCH SNACK: Honey Whipped Feta with Roasted Olives, Tomatoes and Garlic

Today’s (patio) couch snack is a delightful, fluffy whipped feta with insanely flavorful roasted olives, tomatoes and garlic. Whew! I’ve made something similar before, but this was next level. To amp it up, I used a blend of @Pearls_Olives Specialties Garlic Stuffed Olives and their Specialties Kalamata Olives and let me tell ya- YUM!!! Pearls Specialties Olives are – handpicked and imported directly from the Mediterranean, the flavor and the quality are top notch.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Roasted Olives-
1.5 cups mixed @Pearls_Olives Garlic Stuffed Olives + Kalamata Olives, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp if using dried)
1 tsp dried oregano (1 tsp if using fresh)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
black pepper
1 Lemon, zest + and juice
orange zest

INGREDIENTS:
For the Whipped Feta-
8 ounce Feta block
4 ounces room temp cream cheese
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1-2 tsp heavy cream, optional
juice of 1/2 lemon
black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat Oven to 450 degrees F. In a baking dish, toss together olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, and olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until fragrant and sizzling. Add in the citrus zest, and the lemon juice. Toss again, set aside. In a food processor, combine feta, cream cheese, lemon juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, pepper, honey and pulse until smooth. If needed and desired, add in heavy cream for a fluffier result. Spoon into a bowl (I love using pasta bowls), and make a swirling motion using the back of a spoon. Spoon roasted olive mixture over the top, and serve with pita chips or veggies!