A Greek Easter Blessing

With a unique pairing of Greece meets the South, Tasia Malakasis put together a delicious Easter dinner for her friends. After working in the Northeast for years, Malakasis moved home to Alabama to make premium goat cheese at Belle Chevre--and persuaded the owner to sell her the company. Find her cheeses in gourmet stores and at bellechevre.com.

Greek Easter Menu

• Split Pea Hummus
• Cheese Plate
• Roasted Carrots
• Rosemary Roast Lamb
• Asparagus-and-Green Onion Risotto
• Strawberry-Fromage Blanc Tartlets

Tasia laid out an elegant setting for her Easter table, with a pink robin's egg cradled in a nest as a place setting for each of her guests.

This is a fun Southern twist on traditional Greek hummus that is inexpensive and tasty. Tasia served it as an appetizer with fresh vegetables and pita chips.

Recipe: Split Pea Hummus

A cheese plate is a perfect appetizer to start a big meal. Tasia shared some of her best tips on how to set up a cheese plate:

1. Start soft: Try Belle Chevre's Greek Kiss, which comes wrapped in grape leaves for a dramatic presentation ($7.50 for 4 ounces; bellechevre.com).

2. Add something creamy: Belle Chevre's Fromage Blanc ($8 for 8 ounces) spreads easily on crackers.

3. Add something hard: Tasia likes an aged goat cheese or a Manchego.

4. Toss in a conversation starter: Belle Chevre's julep-inspired Southern Belle is dressed with mint, bourbon pecans, and sugar ($7.50 for 4 ounces).

5. Add edible accents: Bread, fruit, nuts, and honey. "I like to tuck in a beautiful honeycomb for texture," Tasia says.

For these scrumptious roasted carrots, you can used bagged baby carrots, but Tasia reccomended young carrots with tops for a better taste.

Recipe: Roasted Carrots

Succulent roast lamb is always at the center of Tasia's Easter table. "They serve it everywhere in Greece," she says. "It is divine." Her version contains delicious ingredients like fresh rosemary, anchovy paste, and lemon zest.

Recipe: Rosemary Roast Lamb

As a side dish to her Southern Greek meal, Tasia prepared asparagus-and-green onion risotto with a tasty garnish of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Asparagus-and-Green Onion Risotto

Tasia claims these delicate tartlets were the perfect ending to her multi-cultural feast. You can make these delicious little sweets without their toppings up to a day ahead and reheat them in the oven before serving. Children may prefer them without the balsamic drizzle, so be sure to set some aside if you're having young guests. Fromage blanc is a soft, mild, fresh cream cheese.

Recipe: Strawberry-Fromage Blanc Tartlets