Olive & Feta Checkerboard
This is such a cute way to present an appetizer. It elevates your usual bowls of feta and olives to a whole new level that will have guests commenting on how much effort you must’ve put into it (but really, it just took a few minutes). These make for a great appetizer when you are in a rush and need to get something beautiful out quickly.
Ingredients:
1 large block of garlic and herb feta (I used 220g)
1 jar of grilled green olives (approx. 24 olives)
zest from 1 lemon
juice from ¼ lemon
freshly cracked black pepper
2 large basil leaves (cut into strips)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Cut the block of feta evenly into approximately 21 uniform blocks. If you end up with more or less, it’s fine; you will just need to adjust the size of the checkerboard.
Get your serving plate. I used a round one, but it can also be square or rectangular.
Drain your olives from the jar.
Starting at one side of the serving plate, place one row, alternating between a feta block and an olive. I made my first row with 3 olives and 2 feta blocks.
Make your second row by placing an olive next to a feta block and vice versa. If your serving plate is round, make the second row longer than the previous one. If your serving plate is square or rectangular, the rows will all be the same.
Continue building your rows until the checkerboard is complete.
Sprinkle over the lemon zest, lemon juice, some cracked black pepper, basil, and olive oil.
Serve as an appetizer or as a snack with a drink. Enjoy!