I had planned to go to a party last Saturday and I was looking for appetizers to bring. I save recipes to my computer all the time, but I never think to look on my computer when I want to figure out what to make. This time, though, I remembered. I did a search for “appetizers” and a list of appetizers came up. It was a document I saved with a list of different things, I don’t know why I saved it because most of them were fish appetizers. I clicked on the link that led me to The Little Kitchen’s recipe for cheese filled celery. I don’t like celery, but the name of the recipe was Greek Salad Celery — and I happened to be going to a party in honor of two newlyweds moving to Greece. So I decided to try it. Now, what have I said about doing never-before-made-recipes when I am on my way out? YIKES!!! I swear, I thought these things would be quick and easy, but . . . . they are messy to make. At least for me. But most people who like celery like cream cheese filled celery, so I might do them again.
Although with all recipes, I make and learn. Even though this recipes says to pulse the feta, I didn’t do it enough. They were crumbs but not small enough . . . . so . . . 1) PULSE feta MORE. Then, perhaps 2) buying the celery in bags already cut and cleaned is a better idea. Perhaps those celery stalks are more uniform and easier to fill. I bought a bunch and some of those stalks are just so narrow. The were not wide enough for the tomato or olive to sit on! That is how narrow they were. 3) Also cut smaller. The recipe said bite size, I was just cutting to the size of the tomato and olive.
Anyway, do check out The Little Kitchen’s recipe for nice pictures as I was making such a mess filling this puppies I only took a picture of the “slivering” and the finished product.
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Greek Salad Celery Appetizer Recipe
originally from The Little Kitchen
the below is my experience and what I did
Yield: about 44 appetizers
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
–3 oz, roughly, crumbled feta cheese, room temperature
–8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
–9 or so celery sticks
–22 sliced Kalamata olives
–22 cherry tomatoes
–pepper
Directions:
Put the room temperature feta in your blender or food processor and pulse. Pulse until all the big chunks are out. You want small crumbs. Add the room temperature cream cheese and blend until smooth and creamy. Then put in fridge.
Cut the sliced halves of the olives in half. Cut the tomatoes in half.
If you wash your celery remember to dry it before filling. The water will make the cheese mixture get a bit runny. Use a veggie peeler to slice off a thin sliver lengthwise from each celery stalk, from the part that will be the “bottom” sitting on the serving tray. Then fill the celery with the cheese mixture. Top with a tomato half and an olive quarter, making a pattern down the stalk. Tomato, olive, blank space. Tomato, olive, blank space. Then cut the stalk at the blank spaces. Sprinkle pepper. Serve.
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The Little Kitchen cut the olives and tomatoes smaller. She also drizzled olive oil on the top of the appetizer. I didn’t want that extra added mess.
I did tie little bows with the strip of celery that I peeled off the back.
I think this makes a great appetizer. Unfortunately, due to the strong flavor of feta and the olives, I don’t think this would be a good snack for kids. But, perhaps your kids like the strong flavor of feta and kalamata olives.
Do you like Greek Salad? Have you ever been to Greece?
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