Testing the Photo Studio

So what's the first thing you have to do when you have a new toy? Exactly, test it out. I wanted to make a dinner that would give us vivid color and be fun to shoot in the new photo studio. Dawn has her go to recipe sources, and so do I. I’ve been a Bon Appetite subscriber for several years now. Every time I receive my new issue I cut out all the recipes that I want to try and stick them into my own recipe collection. Unfortunately I didn’t have my collection with me when I decided to plan the menu, so I browsed http://www.bonappetit.com/ while I ate lunch. I found 3 recipes worthy of the new studio.

I wanted to start the evening with an appetizer so I made cherry tomatoes stuffed with marinated feta. When I cook, I like lots of flavor. I was a little nervous that the recipe I was given would prove to be to lackluster for my pallet, but to my joy, I was happily impressed with the result. Let me walk you through the recipe. You will need the following ingredients:

- 1 Package of Feta Cheese (I’d recommend a block rather than crumbled)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ Tbsp Minced Shallot or Green Onion
- 1 tsp of Chopped Fresh Oregano
- Pitted Kalamata Olives
- Cherry Tomatoes (get the largest ones you can find)

First you’ll want to marinate the feta. You will want to cut the feta into little cubes. The size will depend on how big your tomatoes are. The end result is to stuff a cube of feta and a slice of olive into the tomatoes so cut your cheese accordingly. Take the cheese, oil, shallot (onion) and oregano and mix in a small bowl. Let that sit for a few minutes while you prepare the tomatoes. Add a little salt and pepper for seasoning.

Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the tomato pulp with whatever works. I used a small knife. Stuff the hollowed tomatoes with a cube of the marinated feta and a slice of olive. After stuffing all the tomatoes, drizzle with a little more olive oil and if desired sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This recipe can be prepared well ahead of the meal.

This blog posted while listening to Aerosmith.