Vegetable spreads are a staple of any Mediterranean diet. Usually made of some combination of peppers, eggplant, onions, and spices, they are used to complement any dish, from breakfast through dinner. Use them as a dip for crackers, chips, or veggies. Use them as a filling with cheese for a vegetarian quesadilla (or add grilled chicken for that extra dose of deliciousness). Use them instead of tomato sauce on homemade pizzas. You really can't go wrong with experimenting with these!

These particular vegetable spreads are all-natural and gluten-free, containing no artificial colors, preservatives, or thickeners. Just vegetables and spices. Made with hand-peeled and fire roasted ingredients, they are flavorful and piquant, lacking the overcooked bitterness of competitor's brands.

Lutenica may be slightly hotter (spicier) than the other popular relish Ajvar (Bulgarian tradition Lutenica is less hot than Ajvar). A large scale production of both relishes has popularized them outside the Balkans. In addition, it has to be noted that different regions and countries have substantially different interpretations of these relishes.

A relatively new product, Fergesa is based on an heirloom recipe that mixes cheese with a chunky, "lutenica-lite" recipe of either yellow or red peppers. It is fresh, delicious, and, frankly, outstanding.