Family Friend by Lukas Volger

Family Friend by Lukas Volger

Share this post

Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Warm, Quinoa-Crusted Feta

Warm, Quinoa-Crusted Feta

A crunchy, creamy crown for your spring salads

Apr 03, 2023
∙ Paid
11

Share this post

Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Warm, Quinoa-Crusted Feta
Share

I don’t know if we’re still in the “spring of deception” stage of New York City’s usual weather whiplash, but over the past week or two it has felt reliably warmer and brighter, and — I say this cautiously — it appears winter may be in the rearview. We’ll see where things land come Wednesday.

In the meantime, my thirst for green and snappy young produce is real, and today’s recipe is perfect for amping up your spring salads. Given the fork-and-knife treatment, slabs of feta have a nubby, crisp, quinoa crust that plays beautifully against the salty, creamy cheese — and transforms a light salad into more of a meal. It’s made me think of the breaded goat cheese medallions of Chez Panisse circa 1981, though it’s also quite different from that.

I’d originally envisioned the feta as fully encased like a mozzarella stick, but the quinoa mixture doesn’t really coat in the same way as a flour + egg + breadcrumbs batter would; it’s much easier to just smear it on one side and then carefully flip it over into a hot skillet, and this method, to me, makes the contrast of warm, soft cheese to crunchy crust even more pronounced. It may sound a touch fussy, but it is actually pretty quick and easy.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Family Friend by Lukas Volger to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Lukas Volger, LLC
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share