The past month has been a whirlwind. First up, cookbook launch! I never thought the day would come. Then, celebratory girls’ night, my grandma’s birthday in Oklahoma, Ali’s bachelorette party, Memorial Day, Jordan’s baby shower, Ali’s amazing wedding, and another girls’ night (shown here).
The days are long, and I’m planning more trips for this year and next. Catching up and celebrating with friends and family has been so restorative. After all those celebrations, I’m simultaneously eager for another excuse to go dancing and looking forward to more lazy nights in with Cookie. Post-cookbook Kate is ready to take on the world.
Believe it or not, for years after I started sharing recipes on this blog, I was still nervous about cooking for people in real life. I used to get nervous butterflies before anyone took a first bite. Maybe you know the feeling.
Now that the book is finally finished, I’m so desperate to make up for lost time that I’m practically bribing friends to come over so I can cook for them. I have a whole cookbook’s worth of obsessively-tested, new favorites to make for them.
For this edition of girls’ night, though, I made a new recipe. It’s a combination of two recipes from ages ago—this baked Mediterranean feta dip (here’s an improved version) and this tomato basil salad, which was hardly a recipe but look at Cookie.
I was going to just re-make the dip (and I did, actually) but it wasn’t as epic as I remembered it. I didn’t feel like turning on the oven again on a warm June day, so I came up with this recipe instead. This tomato and feta dip is delicious, colorful, and so simple to make. It’s definitely going to become my go-to summer party appetizer, along with the avocado, spinach and artichoke dip from the book.
I always base my party formula around one dip and lots of complementary fresh fruit and veggies. I’ll often add stovetop popcorn, a cheese plate and crackers, and some cookies to the menu (Tessa brought over these chocolate chip cookies and they are insane).
And wine, of course. I’m excited to be working with Bota Box this year. Boxed wine hasn’t always been so good, but Bota Box is great, and it’s just so easy. I always have chilled rosé or white wine in my fridge now for impromptu parties, or for a glass with a friend on the patio after a long day. I don’t have to worry about the wine going bad, since it’s vacuum-sealed and keeps well for up to a month once opened. And, it’s easier to recycle one box and bag afterward (their packaging is 100% recyclable) than it is to recycle four wine bottles.
I served this dip with their dry rosé, which is a relatively new offering. It’s refreshing on a warm day, and it’s definitely on the dry side (not too sweet). Dry rosé wines pair well with bold summer flavors like tomatoes, olives, garlic, grilled vegetables and herbs. Rosé also goes well with the foods that you already associate with white wines, including fruit, pasta and cheese. Their chilled rosé was the perfect contrast to this summery dip. Please let me know how you like the recipe, and the wine!
More Fresh Tomato Recipes
Tomato surplus? Lucky you! Here are a few more summertime tomato recipes:
Mediterranean Tomato & Feta Dip
This tomato feta dip recipe is perfect for summer parties! This beautiful dip is absolutely delicious and easy to make. You can serve it as a salad or use it as a topping for scrambled eggs or omelets, too. Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
- Combine the quartered tomatoes and sliced olives on a large serving platter or in a medium-sized serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and pepper. Whisk until blended. Drizzle all of the mixture over the tomatoes and olives, and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the crumbled feta and chopped basil over the tomatoes. Gently toss a few times to combine. Serve immediately, with accompaniments of your choice. This dip is best when fresh, since the tomatoes continue to release their juices over time, but leftovers (covered and chilled) are still good for a day or two.
Notes
Make it gluten free: The dip itself is gluten free. Just be sure to choose gluten-free accompaniments.
Make it dairy free: I think that this dip would be fantastic on a platter without the feta, with the vegan cashew sour cream from my cookbook drizzled on top.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This post was created in partnership with Bota Box and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
