Bonnie: Red peppers are a favorite of mine. When they are plentiful and inexpensive, I often toss some onto the grill, roasting the peppers about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until blackened and blistered. I then remove them to a brown paper bag, clip it shut and let the peppers steam for 8 to 10 minutes, or longer. Next, I remove the skins, stems and seeds and either slice to serve to guests or toss the roasted red pepper into a food processor with some salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of a light vinegar, and process until smooth.

Meditalia Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade does just the same!

I like the slightly smoky flavor in this jar and use this as is as red pepper tapenade, a dip for veggies or a myriad of other ways.

You can add a soupçon to your favorite dip, pasta sauce or potato or egg salad. Spread some on crackers, pita triangles or bread for bruschetta or sandwiches, add to stuffing for fish, poultry or meat, use as a base for pizza or garnish deviled eggs with a dollop.

The uses are as endless as your imagination.

Bryan: We’ve actually had the opportunity to introduce you to the PeaceWorks group before. KIND Snacks was our first experience with PeaceWorks, and though I only mentioned Meditalia in passing at the time, we’re now taking the opportunity to showcase its wonderful foods, center stage.

As I mentioned in our previous posting, PeaceWorks describes itself as a “not-only-for-profit” company. The company was founded in 1994 with the goal of peace through mutual profit, the idea being to manufacture food products with joint labor forces coordinated by neighbors on opposing sides of political conflicts. Work together, play nicer together… at least that’s the thought.

Meditalia distributes a wonderful selection of pestos and tapenades; the products manufactured with the assistance and cooperation of different Arab & Israeli groups. Palestinian-grown olives, Turkish sun-dried tomatoes and Egyptian glass jars are all packaged in Israeli plants to bring a food product to the United States. A strong belief that personal and business contacts will break down the hardened, negative cultural stereotypes underlies the entire project. Helping people to live together peacefully is a healthy by-product of your food choices.

Tapenade can be a bit of a mystery. The dish traditionally consists of finely chopped olives, capers and anchovies, mixed in olive oil. The name comes from the Provençal word for “capers,” tapéno, with the spread still common along the south of France. Tapenade is generally spread on crusty bread or used to enhance the flavor of meats in entrees.

A standard tapenade’s base ingredient is olives, though in recent years the term “tapenade” has come to encompass a wider range of base ingredients, with almost any vegetable capable of completing the mix. Meditalia currently produces traditional green and black olive tapenades, but also goes on to make Sundried Tomato, Roasted Eggplant, Eggplant & Tomato varieties, as well as our favorite… the Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade.

So it doesn’t have olives; sue us. This is really good stuff. Simple ingredients make for a pleasing, earthy flavor, absolutely perfect with steak frites! I’m serious. Go home and try that combo if the idea sounds even remotely good. Red peppers, paprika, salt, garlic, onion, parsley, vinegar, and oregano are amongst the distinct flavors, all with a subtle smokiness to drive it all home.

Spread it on some crusty bread; brush it on anything meat from flounder to fillet. It’s an amazing utile ingredient, though it’s also especially good on a breaded chicken hoagie, melted with mozzarella!

All Meditalia spreads are all-natural with no artificial ingredients. They are 100 percent vegan, gluten-free and kosher. And hey, 5 percent of the profits from Meditalia pestos and tapenades go to support the PeaceWorks Foundation to foster peaceful co-existence in the world. Have a nice side of good intentions with your meal.

Eric: This product instantly reminded me of lutaneetsa (I’ve probably butchered the phonetic spelling), a Bulgarian spread made from a combination of red pepper, olive oil and spices.

Although the texture of the MeditaliaA Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade is a little watery compared to that of a traditional red pepper spread, the subtle smoky flavor and overall savory taste makes it a great addition to a turkey sandwich, a cheese platter or even as a dip for bread. The Meditalia tapenade might not be as “gritty” as your homemade pepper spreads, but it sure will hold up in the taste test.
Meditalia Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade is available in the BiteoftheBest.com shop.