Burst tomatoes & feta with walnut dukkah

GF

A simple and delicious starter that pairs beautifully with crusty sourdough and a glass of wine. Creamy feta, sweet bursts of tomatoes and a fragrant walnut dukkah will have you scooping back for more.

This recipe is a beautiful ode to sweet summer tomatoes and long evenings with friends. It super simple to prep, the dukkah can be made ahead so it’s just a matter of putting everything in a skillet and getting it in the oven.

What makes this recipe special?

• Baked Danish feta

  We bake Danish feta in this recipe which results in a rich creamy warm cheese which is the perfect consistency to spread on toasted bread/crackers. I specifically ask for Danish style feta as it is creamier than Greek style feta - easier to spread on bread.

• Fresh homemade dukkah

  I have created my own unique blend of nuts and spices to create a beautiful fragrant dukkah that pairs perfectly with tomatoes, feta and basil. Toasting the nuts and seeds also brings out the toasted nuttiness and round out the dukkah perfectly.

• LOTS of olive oil

  I use a very generous amount of olive oil which = more dippy goodness! Gives us traditional bread & dukkah vibes but amped up to a whole new level!

What’s in this recipe?

Walnut dukkah

• Walnuts

  Walnuts are used here as they add a beautiful earthy flavour to the dish. Can be subbed with other nuts you have on hand (e.g. almonds, pistachios or pecans) although this will change the overall flavour of the dukkah.

• Sesame seeds

  Sesame seeds give off a beautiful flavour especially when toasted. I wouldn’t be tempted to leave these out!

• Fennel seeds

  Fennel seeds give off a slight aniseed flavour and smell incredible when toasted. Also don’t be tempted to leave these out!

• Chilli flakes

  A touch of chilli flakes gives off a delicious heat that pairs so well with balsamic vinegar. Just enough to bring a zing to the mouth and have you coming back for more and more!

• Ground coriander

  Ground coriander helps to balance out the spices in this recipe. Using a ground spice rather than whole also ensures you get spice flavour in every single dip.

• Ground cumin

  Because its delicious! Using a ground spice rather than whole also ensures you get spice flavour in every single dip.

• Salt

  A touch of salt really makes the flavours pop in this dukkah.

Burst tomatoes & feta

• Feta

I specifically ask for Danish style feta as it is creamier than Greek style feta - easier to spread on bread.
Can be subbed with a block of Philedelphia cream cheese also you will loose the slight tang that feta cheese gives.

• Cherry tomatoes

  Whole cherry tomatoes are such a delight to eat when roasted, juicy pops of sweet deliciousness. They really make this dish so easy to prep too - simply open a punnet of cherry tomatoes and tip them out! Done! Could be subbed with quatered whole tomatoes although ensure they are in season so they are sweet. 

• Extra virgin olive oil

  Please use a good quality extra virgin olive oil here as we use it very generously so it will be tasted! I wouldnt recommend subbing with any other oil here as the olive flavour is part of the final dish. 

• Balsamic vinegar

  A small drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end just gives the dippy experience that wow factor. It balances out the excessive amounts of oil and brigns you back for more. Works so well with the touch of chilli in the dukkah too. You could sub with red wine vinegar however it will be a slightly different flavour.

• Basil

  A delicious fresh touch to the dish, giving us margherita pizza vibes. I wouldn’t recommend subbing with another herb. Just leave off if you don't have any.

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Burst tomatoes & feta with walnut dukkah

Yield 6

Author Bea Fawkes

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

40 Min

A simple and delicious starter that pairs beautifully with crusty sourdough and a glass of wine. Creamy feta, sweet burst tomatoes and a fragrant walnut dukkah will have you scooping back for more.

Ingredients

Walnut dukkah

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt

Burst tomatoes & feta

• 1 block (200g) feta
• 1 punnet (200g) cherry tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch fresh basil

Instructions

Walnut dukkah

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, toast walnuts for about 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add sesame and fennel seeds and toast for a further minute, stirring often to prevent burning.
2. Transfer mixture to a mortar & pestle and add the remaining dukkah ingredients. Crush until well incorporated and nuts are coarsely ground. Set aside.

Burst tomatoes & feta

1. Preheat oven to 140 degrees Celsius bake. Spray a small skillet with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Place whole feta block in the center of the skillet. Arrange the cherry tomatoes around the feta.
3. Sprinkle the dukkah over the tomatoes and then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are just burst and feta is starting to golden.
4. Remove from oven and drizzle the tomatoes with the vinegar and top with basil leaves. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

Serving suggestion:

Serve on a platter with crusty bread. Also goes great with a deli meat (e.g. proscuitto, salami) and enjoyed with friends.

Substitutions

Cherry tomatoes

Could be subbed with quatered whole tomatoes although ensure they are in season so they are sweet. 

Feta

Can be subbed with a block of Philedelphia cream cheese also you will loose the slight tang that feta cheese gives.

Dukkah

If short on time you can use a storebought dukkah and add coarsely chopped walnuts to it.

Extra virgin olive oil

I wouldnt recommend subbing with any other oil here as the olive flavour is part of the final dish. 

Balsamic vinegar

You could subb with red wine vinegar however it will be a slightly different flavour.

Basil

I wouldnt recommend subbing with another herb. Just leave off if you don't have any.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

209

Fat

18 g

Sat. Fat

2 g

Carbs

6 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

5 g

Sugar

3 g

Protein

8 g

Sodium

463 mg

Cholesterol

5 mg