Feta and Olive Crock
Cubed feta, black olives, and green onion sitting in oil. No fridge, no stove, keeps a few days.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 84
- protein
- 9 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 10 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Snack
- No cook
- Car camping
- Canoe / raft
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Feta cheese | 1 small package (about 6 oz) | cut into cubes; the brined block keeps better than crumbles |
|---|---|---|
| Pitted black olives | 1 can (6 oz), drained | |
| Green onions | 1/4 to 1/2 cup, chopped | the one perishable; skip it after day two |
| Olive oil | about 1 cup | enough to cover everything |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | to taste | |
| Paprika | to taste | |
| Saltine crackers or pita | 1 sleeve | for scooping |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | optional, from a squeeze bottle |
Method
- Cube the feta and drain the olives. Chop the green onion.
- Put everything but the crackers in a wide-mouth jar or a leakproof container.
- Pour in olive oil until the solids are covered. Add oregano, pepper, and paprika.
- Put the lid on and turn it over a few times. Do not shake, the feta breaks down.
- Let it sit at least an hour before eating. Scoop onto crackers.
- Keep it covered and out of the sun. Good for two or three days.
- Do not pour off the oil at the end. It is bread dip.
This is a lunch for warm days when soup is wrong and another tuna packet is worse. The oil is the preservative: feta and olives both arrive packed in brine, and covering them in oil keeps air off, so the crock sits on the table instead of in a cooler. That is why it works without a fridge for a couple of days.
The green onion is the weak link and the only thing here with a clock on it. Use it the first day or two, then leave it out and lean harder on the oregano and paprika. Everything else is shelf-stable until opened, so a second jar’s worth can ride in the pack unopened.
Packing
Feta and olives travel in their own liquid, so carry them sealed and build the crock at camp. Premix the oregano, pepper, and paprika into one small bag at home. A screw-top jar beats a bag here because the oil finds every seam.
Variations
- Add cubed shelf-stable salami or pepperoni for real protein.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil in place of half the olives.
- Roll it into a tortilla instead of using crackers if the crackers turn to dust.
https://www.sailnet.com/threads/lunch-ideas-needed.7527