Michigan Cottage Cook: FETA CHEESE, TOMATO, SPINACH, AND GREEN ONION SPREAD--MY COPY-CAT RECIPE FROM OLD BOYS' BREWHOUSE SPRING LAKE MICHIGAN. HOW TO MAKE PITA CHIPS OUT OF FLATBREAD.

BLONDS LOOK GOOD IN RED.

Dede driving "Tom's" Mustang.

While Dede was in Michigan, we had a chance to have a "girl's day out" while Scott took care of the kids. For years whenever Dede saw a red convertible, she would say, "Blonds look good in red!" I picked up the saying and then Tom did. He would see a red convertible and say, "What did Dede say? Blonds look good in red!" Dede really enjoyed driving the Mustang on our girl's day. Then Scott bought a Classic Camero in red while he was in North Carolina alone, so she can look good in North Carolina as well as Michigan.

During our day together we did some looking, some shopping, and went to Old Boys Brewhouse for a lemonade and something light. We ordered their Feta Cheese, Spinach, Tomato, and Green Onion Spread with Pita Chips. After the first bite, Dede said, "What makes it pink? Can you duplicate this?"

My copy-cat recipe of OLD BOYS' BREWHOUSE FETA, SPINACH, TOMATO AND GREEN ONION SPREAD.

My guess was that the tomato in the recipe title was tomato paste which would make the spread pink. I know that you can get tomato paste in a tube for when you don't need a whole can for a recipe. However, I couldn't find it anywhere in Grand Haven. This is what I do when I open a can of tomato paste. I put what I don't use in a freezer bag and press the paste flat in the bag so I can break off pieces when I need them without thawing the whole bag.

My frozen tomato paste ready to have pieces broken off to make the Feta Spread.

Old Boys' Feta spread shouts Feta cheese as soon as you bite into it. By the time you have chewed the pita and spread, the Feta is screaming "Feta" in your mouth. If you want the intense Feta flavor, use just four-ounces of cream cheese when you make this recipe. My copy-cat version of this spread uses eight-ounces of cream cheese. The first bite of my spread gives multitude of flavors to the tongue, a little sweetness from the cream cheese, a little green onion. After chewing, the Feta cheese flavor is singing rather than screaming in your mouth.

My spread is on the left and Old Boys' is on the right.

FETA CHEESE, SPINACH, TOMATO, AND GREEN ONION SPREAD WITH PITA CHIPS--MY COPY-CAT RECIPE FROM OLD BOYS' BREWHOUSE.

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
4 to 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (10oz) box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 T tomato paste
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 green onions, finely chopped
Some Feta cheese and chopped green onion for garnish

Ingredients: Feta cheese, cream cheese, chopped frozen spinach, tomato paste, granulated garlic, and green onions.

Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Drain and squeeze dry the thawed spinach. Chop the green onions. Add the tomato paste to the beaten cream cheese. Add the garlic and beat well. Add the Feta cheese to the cream cheese mixture. Mix gently. Add the spinach and green onions to the mixture and gently stir to mix. Refrigerate the mixture to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with commercial pita chips or my homemade flat bread pita chips.

Drain spinach.

Put cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth.

Add tomato paste to the cream cheese and beat well.

Add the garlic.

Chop the green onion.

Squeeze the spinach dry.

Add Feta cheese, green onion, and spinach to mixture and stir gently.

Cover the spread and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld.

Place spread on a serving plate and garnish with crumbled Feta and chopped green onions.

Serve with my homemade pita chips made from flat bread---

Or serve on commercial bagged pita chips. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

HOW TO MAKE MY PITA CHIPS FROM FLAT BREAD

The pita chips that are served in restaurants are frequently warm and thick not like the pita chips you can buy in stores. I have found if I want the thick pita chips, I have to make my own. They are very easy and fantastically good.

FLAT BREAD PITA CHIPS
I like to sprinkle some of my chips with Zatar, a Middle Eastern spice combination made up of sumac, thyme, white sesame seeds and salt.

Flat bread
Butter or olive oil
Granulated garlic, if desired
Parmesan cheese, grated
Zatar, if desired