Aw shucks, I love oysters!

I adore oysters: fresh from the shell, baked with just about anything or breaded and fried and served on a fresh, crusty bun. Oysters reflect the flavor of the environment where they are grown. They taste of the sea just about more than any other seafood.  They are also a nutritional powerhouse with lots of Omega 3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of zinc, an immunity booster. 

I bought a few dozen fresh Chefs Creek oysters the other day and ate a dozen raw with just a squirt of lemon juice and some minced shallots. What to do with the other two dozen? I had a few ingredients on hand  (Allegro tomatoes, spinach, lemons, leeks, and some feta cheese) and decided to do a little baking.  These were so good I had to post the recipe.  I have added this handy video on how to properly shuck these little gems:
http://www.howcast.com/videos/95486-How-To-Shuck-an-Oyster
 
Baked Tomato and Feta Oysters
12 fresh oysters, shucked, placed on cupped side of the shells
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
pinch of chili flakes
1 cup Allegro™ Tomatoes, chopped
½ lemon, zest only
2 tsp. capers, rinsed
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 cup feta cheese
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
 
Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F with the top rack in the upper most position.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and add the leek.  Saute for 3 minutes and add the garlic and chili flakes. Sauté for 1 minute and add chopped Allegro™ tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and add the capers, fresh basil and lemon zest. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Place the shucked oysters in a baking dish that will hold all of them upright. Top with tomato sauce and a sprinkling of feta and breadcrumbs. Bake until the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs have browned about 15 minutes. Enjoy!