Levantine cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Jibneh Baladieh bi Zeit

Mild white cheese slices, doused in olive oil and topped with tomatoes, mint, and olives.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g feta
• 3 tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 100 g green olives
• 1 lemon
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp zaatar spice blend
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Take the cheese out of the fridge 15 min before serving and cut into slices about 1 cm thick – cold, it tastes noticeably flatter.
2. If the cheese is very salty, soak the slices in cold water for 10 min and then pat carefully dry.
3. Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and pluck the mint leaves from the stems.
4. Arrange the cheese slices overlapping like roof tiles on a flat platter and tuck the tomato slices in between.
5. Top with the olives and mint leaves, sprinkle with the zaatar and a little pepper, and drizzle generously with the olive oil.
6. Sprinkle with a dash of lemon juice, salt lightly only if needed, and serve immediately with warm flatbread for breakfast.