Marinated feta cheese

This marinated feta makes a delicious gift for a friend, or keep it on hand for pre-dinner drinks, or for including in homemade salads. You can experiment with different fresh herbs (whatever is in season) and add more, or less, spice.

Bottled feta

• Store-bought feta (or make your own with a special cheese-making kit)
• Fresh sprigs of herbs (choose from dill, thyme, rosemary, oregano and marjoram)
• Chilli flakes
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to fill bottle
• Optional: olives, coriander seeds, peppercorns, Szechuan pepper, roasted capsicum)

Fill a jar or wide-necked bottle with your feta, herbs and spices, layering everything as you go. Fill the jar with olive oil. Seal and leave for 2-3 weeks before using, to allow flavours to develop. The longer you leave it, the more flavoursome it will be. Can be left for up to 6 months.

Quick feta and avocado salad

Toss together avocado, boiled egg and marinated feta. Pour a little of the oil from the bottled feta over the salad and sprinkle with seeds of your choice.