Cat Neville’s Vegetarian Shakshuka with Feta

Submitted by: CATHERINE NEVILLE, award-winning food journalist

Her Food Story:

Fun to say and easy to make, shakshuka is a vegetarian dish that is a perfect platform for Baetje Farms’ outstanding Feta.

Baetje Farms is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Bloomsdale, Missouri, south of St. Louis. Founders Steve and Veronica Baetje launched the farm about 20 years ago with simple, delicious fresh chevre and the farm has since grown to produce a line of French-style cheeses that have won numerous awards, including Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2018. Their herd of happy, healthy goats produce milk that, in turn, creates outstanding cheese.

Here, I used Baetje’s salty, savory brined Feta to play off of shakshuka’s sweet, tangy tomato sauce and rich egg yolk. Because Feta is a sturdy, somewhat crumbly, cheese, it doesn’t melt, so it holds up to the heat of the sauce while the eggs are poaching. Serve this dish with crusty bread and spread that cheese, egg and tomato on a warm slice — the rich, complex flavors belie the recipe’s ease and simplicity.

Vegetarian Shakshuka with Feta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 green pepper, diced

• 1 or 2 serrano peppers, chopped

• 2 tsp cumin

• 2 tsp coriander

• 1 Tbsp paprika

• Salt to taste

• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

• Couple handfuls cherry tomatoes

• 4 eggs

• Baetje Farms Feta cheese

• Chopped parsley, to garnish
  
  

Instructions:

| Preparation |
Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil and onions and cook until onions begin to soften, then add the green and serrano peppers. Add in the spices and stir until they become fragrant, taking care not to let them burn, and then stir in the diced tomatoes and the whole cherry tomatoes. Taste and add salt.

Allow tomato mixture to simmer for a few minutes and then, when it’s reduced a bit and syrupy, make four “wells” with the back of a spoon, one for each egg. Crack one egg into a small bowl and then slip the egg into one of the wells, repeating with the rest of the eggs. Scatter Feta on top and put a lid on the pan.

Allow the eggs to cook, checking often, until the whites are set and the yolks are to your preference – if you ask me, a runny yolk is best in this dish! Sprinkle parsley over the dish and serve with crusty bread and either butter or olive oil.

| Additional Tips |
Fresh Is Best // If it’s tomato season, skip the canned stuff. Either dice fresh tomatoes or, if you want a smoother sauce, grate them using the big holes on a box grater.

Herbal Essence // Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, oregano or tarragon are wonderful additions to shakshuka.

Crack Me Up // Be sure to crack each egg into a small bowl first so you can avoid any shells and make sure the yolk stays intact.