Greek appetizer plate

Preparation of pickled feta cheese with herbs and olive oil:
The pickled feta cheese is prepared the day before. Drain the cheese and place in a small sealable container (e.g. tin or jar). If you like, you can also dice the cheese beforehand. Add the thyme sprigs and lavender flowers, cover everything with Greek olive oil and leave to infuse for 24 hours. The remaining oil is also ideal for salad dressings.

Preparation of fava:
For the fava, put the shelling peas in a sieve, wash and drain. Peel and chop the shallots and garlic. Heat the frying olive oil in a pan. Fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the peas and a sprig of rosemary, sauté briefly and pour in 500 ml water. Simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes until the peas are soft. If necessary, add more water from time to time.

Drain the peas in a sieve, reserving the cooking water. Remove the sprig of rosemary. Leave the peas to cool for 10 minutes and then puree them with the Greek olive oil and lemon juice. Gradually add the cooking water until a creamy consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper. Caution: If the fava continues to cool, it will thicken, so stir in some more cooking water if necessary.

To serve, spread in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Chop the caper apples and spread over the dip.

Preparation of stuffed eggplant rolls:
While the peas are cooking, prepare the eggplant rolls. To do this, cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices approx. 3 mm thick (preferably using a slicing machine). Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant slices one by one on both sides. Line a tray with kitchen paper and degrease the finished slices on it.

Place the cream cheese, feta cheese and tomato purée in a tall blender jug. Finely dice the pointed peppers and garlic clove and add. Puree everything together with a hand blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread some of the feta dip on the eggplant slices and roll up carefully. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. The remaining cream also tastes delicious with pita or other bread.

Arrange the various starters on a plate. Serve with various olives and Greek pita bread.