Easy Mediterranean Appetizers for Summer Entertaining

This weekend, sit back and relax with friends with a glass of wine or beer and these delicious cool appetizers that make wonderful spreads for crackers, or dips for crudites. They're light and healthy, and all are vegan. The tapenade comes from France, the roasted pepper and walnut spread comes from Turkey, and the hummus is popular in many Middle Eastern countries. I like to put the dips in 3 separate, small glass bowls, since served together, they have a nice color contrast. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Walnut Spread
(makes at least 3 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil, to brush the baking sheet 
3 large red bell peppers
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the red peppers on the sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Turn them over after about 15 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and place peppers in a paper bag, or cover with a clean dish towel until they cool.  When cool, remove the skin, stem, and seeds.

2.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Lightly toast the walnuts for a few minutes, until they darken in color very slightly. Remove from oven and cool.

3.  To make the puree, add the roasted peppers, toasted walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and salt, to a food processor. Process until a coarse paste is formed. It should not be completely smooth. Taste for salt.

Tapenade
(makes about 2 cups)

2 cups pitted olives (kalamata, picholine, a mixture of both, or other)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed of oil they're packed in
1/3 cup capers, drained
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the ingredients in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. It should not be completely smooth.

Hummus
(makes about 2 cups)

1 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tahini sauce (sesame seed paste), or 1/2 cup sesame seeds 
1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
A few tablespoons of water, if a thinner consistency is desired

Drain the chickpeas. Add them with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini and salt to a blender. Process until smooth. If you'd like the consistency to be thinner, add a few tablespoons of water. Taste for salt.