Mediterranean Olive, Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Butter Board

Ingredient Spotlight

crumbled vegetarian feta (look for rennet-free)

Vegetarian feta is a feta-style cheese made without animal rennet (often using microbial or plant-based coagulants) so it’s suitable for lacto-vegetarians; some versions are also entirely plant-based. It tastes like traditional feta—tangy, salty, and crumbly—but textures vary from creamy to slightly firmer depending on brand. Find it at natural-foods stores, specialty cheese counters, or well-stocked supermarkets, and substitute with regular feta if you don’t need it to be rennet-free, or with firm tofu marinated in lemon, salt and a little vinegar for a vegan option.

Ingredient Spotlight

Castelvetrano

Castelvetrano are bright green Sicilian olives known for a sweet, buttery, and mild flavor with a crisp, meaty texture—much less briny than many other olives. They’re popular in Mediterranean cooking and often sold pitted in jars at supermarkets and specialty grocers or at olive bars. If you can’t find them, substitute with mild pitted green olives such as Manzanilla or Nocellara, keeping in mind you may want to rinse saltier varieties before using.

Ingredient Spotlight

Aleppo pepper

Aleppo pepper (pul biber) is a coarsely ground, deep-red chili from Syria/Turkey with moderate heat, fruity-tangy sweetness and a subtle cumin-like undertone; it’s less sharp than standard crushed red pepper. It’s available at Middle Eastern markets, specialty spice shops, and online, and makes a softer, more aromatic heat. Substitute by mixing crushed red pepper flakes with a touch of sweet paprika (or smoked paprika for smokiness) to approximate its flavor profile, starting light and adjusting to taste.