“Here in New England, it’s artichoke season, and whether on pasta, in a salad, or piled high on this delicious bruschetta, make sure you don’t miss it. As a kid, I never had enough patience to make it to the artichoke heart. After 20-25 artichoke leaves dipped in butter, I had reached my fill. Only now I know what I was missing.
Whether you enjoy this recipe as a dip or on top a toasted baguette, you’ll see exactly why this combination of flavors works. The char from the toasted bread, the creamy feta, tender, earthy artichokes, sprinkled with a floral and herby Za’atar, and what about the Shatta? Shatta is a Middle Eastern fermented pepper condiment that offers a hint of sweetness and a full-bodied heat that stands up to the creamy whipped feta. This dish offers a great visual and textural balance, sure to impress and delight, so what are you waiting for?”
-Andrew Little, Chef and Author of The Cambridge Recipe Club Newsletter
About Andrew:
Andrew writes the Cambridge Recipe Club newsletter every week, sharing simple and seasonal recipes with no ads or paywalls. The Cambridge Recipe Club features accessible recipes for cooks of all skill levels who are looking to bring excitement and curiosity into the kitchen. Readers can submit their own recipes, receive recipes from local restaurants, and will soon be able to sign up for virtual and in-person events. Sign up here to learn more about your local food community.
Whipped Feta & Artichoke Bruschetta
Servings: 12-15 Bruschetta, Appetizer for 4-5 people
Ingredients
4-6 artichokes, medium/large size
1 baguette, large
7-8 oz block of Feta Voras Cheese
1/3 cup of cream cheese, plain
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon
3-5 Tsp Kama Red Shatta
1 Tbsp of za’atar (our favorite is Villa Jerada Za'atar)
2 Tbsp salt
Instructions
- Whipped Feta: Using your hands, crumble the feta into a food processor with a blade attachment.
- Add 1/3 cup of room temperature cream cheese and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Blend until incorporated and season with salt to taste. Set aside or chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
- Artichokes: Trim any stalks, leaving ½ to ¼-inch stems.
- Lay the artichoke on one side, eyeball a line ½-inch down from the leaf tips, and chop through the artichoke, leaving a flat, open end. Sprinkle the salt into the open end. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
- Using your hands, massage the artichoke heads under running water to rinse away any dirt between the leaves.
- In a large pot or saucepan, add a steamer basket and 1-2 inches of water, and bring the water to a low boil.
- Arrange the artichokes in a single layer, cover, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let steam for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes.
- After 30 minutes, use a sharp knife or toothpick and pierce the stem end of an artichoke; it should be tender and give little to no resistance.
- Remove artichokes from the steamer basket and let cool for 10-15 minutes or until you’re able to handle them safely.
- Peel away any tough exterior leaves, but don’t throw these away. They make for an excellent cooking snack; simply dip the root end of the leaves in a little bit of melted butter.
- Once you’ve peeled away the exterior leaves you should be left with softer, smaller leaves and a larger stem.
- Using a knife, make a single cut where the roots of the leaves start to pucker and meet the stem. You should be left with a wide cornish shape.
- Now, using the point of your knife, cut a smaller circle around the perimeter of the artichoke, and use a spoon to detach the hairy top. I like to think about this as if I am removing the ice cream scoop from the cone. The cone is what we’re after.
- Dice the remaining artichoke hearts into wedges; if any fibrous stems remain, you can discard them.
- Assemble: If serving this as a dip, mix the chopped artichoke hearts into the whipped feta and garnish with dollops of red pepper shatta, a sprinkle of za’atar, and enjoy with crackers.
- If serving this as bruschetta: slice a baguette on a diagonal bias to achieve generous bites and toast in an oiled cast-iron skillet or toaster
- Once cool to the touch, spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of whipped feta onto each bite, top with artichoke wedges, and spoon ¼ to ½ tsp of shatta over each bite, depending on your spice tolerance. Sprinkle with za’atar.