Feta

Quesadillas stuffed with greens and feta Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 Oil 1/3 cup minced onion 1 pound mixed cooking greens, such as kale, mustards and collards 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup diced feta cheese 1/4 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut in small dice 12 corn tortillas 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet....

Dear SOS: I had the most fantastic and flavorful summer salad at the Hungry Cat in Hollywood recently. It was an heirloom tomato salad with chunks of watermelon and some feta and herbs. I would love it if you might be able to obtain the recipe, as this is definitely one I would like to have again and again. Andrea Bardack Los Angeles Dear Andrea: Take everything you love about summer and arrange it beautifully on a plate. Juicy heirloom tomato wedges and bright chunks of cool watermelon come together perfectly in this salad, punctuated with the light spice of arugula and floral notes of fresh basil and mint.

Farro salad with mushrooms, dill and feta Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 1 cup farro 3 cups water Salt 8 ounces mushrooms 1 tablespoon oil 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tablespoons chopped dill, divided 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts 1/3 cup chopped green onions 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1/3 cup slivered bottled red bell peppers 1/4 cup crumbled...

Dinner doesn't get much better -- or more simple -- than quesadillas. Melt some cheese over a warm tortilla, add an extra filling or two, and you're good to go. In this variation, tortillas are stuffed with quickly cooked greens and chunks of feta and mozzarella, the tortillas warmed until lightly browned and the cheese oozes just slightly. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

Dear SOS: I had the most fantastic and flavorful summer salad at the Hungry Cat in Hollywood recently. It was an heirloom tomato salad with chunks of watermelon and some feta and herbs. I would love it if you might be able to obtain the recipe, as this is definitely one I would like to have again and again. Andrea Bardack Los Angeles Dear Andrea: Take everything you love about summer and arrange it beautifully on a plate. Juicy heirloom tomato wedges and bright chunks of cool watermelon come together perfectly in this salad, punctuated with the light spice of arugula and floral notes of fresh basil and mint.

More than simply a sweet one-note food, melons shine in a number of savory dishes -- like salads -- as Food editor Russ Parsons shares this week: There are plenty of traditional examples of this. The most obvious is melon and prosciutto, and a very good one it is: the satin saltiness of the ham playing against the buttery sweetness of the melon. That's only the beginning of possibilities. I remember well the Thai melon salad Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger used to serve at their old City restaurant, nitro-fueled by fish sauce and chiles.

I'm a high-payback kind of cook. What I mean by that is that any effort I expend in the kitchen, I expect to have repaid several times over on the plate. You can put that down to philosophy if you want -- that whole California thing of choosing good ingredients and letting them speak for themselves. Or you can attribute it to my modest technical skills -- elaborate constructions with lots of elements just aren't my thing. I did enough fluting of mushrooms in my 20s, thank you. Or maybe -- and more and more I'm thinking this might be it -- both of those are just rationalizations for my inherent laziness.

Your piece on Greek cooking ("Secrets of a Greek Grandmother," Jan. 13) is fabulous and is being promptly added to our collection of Armenian cookbooks! Both ethnic groups, which are akin in so many ways, seem to approach cooking with zest and creativity as well as utmost enjoyment, which shows up in their delectable dishes. Feta cheese, which figures prominently in so many ways in Greek cuisine, is often avoided by so many of us who are on salt-free diets. Our family secret is to have feta cheese first soaked for several days in milk, then rinsed in cold water and eaten in a salad or a sandwich or whatever.

Sitting at dusk, leisurely nibbling on mezze, or small plates, between sips of wine or tea is a way of life in the Middle East. Mezze ease you into the meal in the most delightful way. And if you can enjoy them outdoors, even better. L.A. has the climate, and it also boasts a number of restaurants where you can feast on these marvelous little bites. Here are a few. Cleo Head with friends to chic Cleo for any of more than 30 mezze from executive chef Danny Elmaleh, all less than $10. Order them in flights, a mix of hot and cold.

Here's what the stars at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be eating inside the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday night while you ? possibly with lukewarm TV dinner in hand ? watch them congratulate one another: A crisp salad of nutty arugula, chewy dates, plump blood oranges and paper-thin Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese kissed with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; fat beluga lentils with soft chunks of carrot, pine nuts and a dusting of creamy feta cheese; slender slices of slow-roasted king salmon on a sea of diced cucumbers in a yogurt sauce flavored with ginger-mint chutney; tender slow-roasted lamb on a creamy bed of pureed chickpeas flecked with black olives and tangy feta salsa verde; and a slim herbed crostini baked with parsley, rosemary and thyme.

Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, plus refrigerator time Servings: 36 fritters 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, preferably full-fat organic 1 large garlic clove, crushed through a garlic press Salt 1 pound zucchini (about 2 large), shredded in a food processor using a three-eighths-inch hole 4 ounces feta, grated 1/3cup minced dill 1/3cup minced parsley 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves 2/3cup flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 large eggs, beaten Mild olive oil for frying 1. Place yogurt in a small sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl.

Another great way to make use of all that summer zucchini is to add it to a frittata -- this recipe combines fresh grated zucchini with rich feta and fragrant basil. The recipe makes eight medium or 30 mini frittatas, and can be made ahead of time and served warm or at room temperature (perfect if you're planning ahead). For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery . Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

More than simply a sweet one-note food, melons shine in a number of savory dishes -- like salads -- as Food editor Russ Parsons shares this week: There are plenty of traditional examples of this. The most obvious is melon and prosciutto, and a very good one it is: the satin saltiness of the ham playing against the buttery sweetness of the melon. That's only the beginning of possibilities. I remember well the Thai melon salad Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger used to serve at their old City restaurant, nitro-fueled by fish sauce and chiles.

My dad has never been much of a food guy. I still remember his go-to comfort dish when I was a kid was something he called "bread soup," which, if I recall correctly, consisted of torn-up white bread soaked in milk. I guess growing up in North Dakota will do that to you. But when it came to melons, he was way ahead of the curve. Served a wedge of cantaloupe, he'd sprinkle it with salt and pepper. I've never seen anyone else do that, but the combination is terrific - a good melon is way too wonderful to be treated only as a sweet.

Sitting at dusk, leisurely nibbling on mezze, or small plates, between sips of wine or tea is a way of life in the Middle East. Mezze ease you into the meal in the most delightful way. And if you can enjoy them outdoors, even better. L.A. has the climate, and it also boasts a number of restaurants where you can feast on these marvelous little bites. Here are a few. Cleo Head with friends to chic Cleo for any of more than 30 mezze from executive chef Danny Elmaleh, all less than $10. Order them in flights, a mix of hot and cold.

Sometimes in cooking, a little extra effort pays off with big improvements. That's true of this leg of lamb from Russ Parsons. It's boned, stuffed, then tied back together before the final roasting. The result is a real showpiece for a dinner party. What's more, most of the work can be done the day before. And you can buy the lamb already boned from the butcher, which will make it much easier to prepare. Total time: 3 hours, plus resting time Servings: Serves 6 to 8 Note: The lamb can be prepared through Step 4 (stuffed and tied)

How far will chefs Vinny Dotolo, left, and Jon Shook go to spice up wedding fare? Consider this menu for a spring wedding they're planning: lamb sliders with feta cheese and harissa aioli; bacon-fried oysters with horseradish tartar sauce; gem lettuce with Maytag vinaigrette and candied pecans; grouper with carrots, melted leeks, spinach and chervil butter; pork shoulder with apples, navy beans and green garlic. For dessert, rhubarb and strawberry cobbler with cream in a lavender crust.

As we left the Sultan's Table at Costa Mesa, I told my pressed-for-time partner, "I want to come back, but I'll do it at noon, so you won't have to spend another evening." "No," he protested. "I can find a night." We both loved this low-key restaurant, tucked back on Newport Boulevard. (Look for the scalloped orange awning.

Potato latkes with feta cheese and two onions Total time: 50 minutes Servings: Makes 1½ to 2 dozen latkes 2 pounds baking potatoes 1/2 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra olive oil (or an olive oil/canola blend) for frying 1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion 2 green onions, chopped 2 to 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, potato flour or tapioca flour 5 1/2 ounces feta cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Dear SOS: The Palomino Restaurant has the yummiest tomato-basil-olive-feta-garlic topping for bread. Could you wrangle the recipe? I have searched and Googled repeatedly. Thanks, Leslie Di Mattia Sherman Oaks Dear Leslie: Palomino was happy to share its recipe for this relish, which we've adapted below. Palomino's tomato and feta relish Total time: 20 minutes plus chilling time Servings: Makes about 3 cups relish Note: Adapted from Palomino Restaurant in Westwood.