RECIPE: Few ingredients, big Greek flavors make for quick side dish

When cooking with only a few ingredients, it’s important to use quality ones for the best results. Because this recipe only uses five ingredients, you want to source high-quality feta, olive oil and the ripest tomato you can find.

Feta is the backbone of this dish, and all feta is not the same. Look for a red and gold seal marked Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which identifies a product as originating from a certain region, area or, in some exceptional cases, a country, whose quality or characteristics are due to the particular geographical environment or production process.

Feta PDO, aka authentic Greek feta, is made from fresh or pasteurized sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep’s milk and up to 30% goat’s milk. More robust in flavor than cow’s milk, this kind of milk is what gives feta PDO a slight peppery taste. In my mind, non-Feta PDO is the equivalent of using pre-shredded domestic Parmesan instead of the far superior Parmigiano-Reggiano in Italian recipes. Rest assured, however, you will still appreciate the flavors in this recipe as long as you use a quality product. I suggest buying a whole block of feta instead of using pre-crumbled cheese because the larger pieces are bolder in flavor.

Feta acts as creamy salt. Add it to the spiced green beans and tomatoes, drizzle with the best quality olive oil, and taste as the flavors explode. The hearty combination is satisfying as a main dish, but could also function as a side.

This Greek-inspired dish was a mainstay at my home this spring with asparagus, and transitioned to green beans for the summer. I’m already planning to try it with broccoli in the fall.

Greek-Inspired Green Beans