Lemony Whipped Feta Board with Marinated Fennel and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

¼ cup red onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl harissa paste

2 tsp za’atar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 medium fennel bulb

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbl fresh lemon juice, divided

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbl olive oil, divided

1 Tbl chopped chives

2 Tbl chopped parsley

12 oz Feta cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup greek yogurt

Herbs for garnish

Directions:

Set out a large mixing bowl–you will toss all the ingredients into it as you prepare them. The minced onion, garlic, harissa paste, the za’tar, the salt, and several cracks of the pepper and the chickpeas to the bowl. Wash the fennel bulb, and peel away any brown spots. Halve the bulb lengthwise, and then shave one half of the fennel crosswise into thin slices and add to the bowl.

Add 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the olive oil to the bowl, and stir all of the ingredients together, until all is evenly incorporated.

Now whip the feta: Roughly chop the Feta, and add it to the bowl of a food processor, along with the yogurt. Pulse them a couple of times. Start the machine, and slowly pour in 2 Tbl of the olive oil, and then the remaining 2 Tbl lemon juice. Mix until the whip is creamy and smooth. Add cracked black pepper, and pulse just to combine.

Transfer the feta cheese mixture onto a board and spread with a knife.

Top with the marinated fennel and chickpeas and herbs. Serve with crispy bread.