It's finally here and it's hot!

Don't you just hate it when food labels claim the product is hot but it's really not? Or when the pepper sauce is so hot you can't appreciate the flavor because your mouth and throat are burning?

Well, Papa Lena's Red Hot Pepper Dip is perfect. It has all the goodness of our mild Red Pepper Chip Dip, except it's got a "sneak-up-on-you" kick to it! All natural dairy-base, with imported Pecorino Romano Cheese, our crushed red pepper chips, fresh garlic and hot peppers. With no preservatives and no transfats, this dip will still last in the fridge for up to six weeks. But there's no way it will last that long because it has so many uses...

I can't remember my life with out Giardiniera, the tasty mix (mild or hot) of whatever fresh peppers and vegetables that were not sold from Grandpa's garden.

Most people know their Giardiniera as a collection of mixed pickled vegetables. We personally love the taste and texture of crunching raw fresh veggies mixed with capers, olives, and spices bathed in fresh extra virgin olive oil. Mmmmm.

The name Giardiniera means garden. From the Italian giardiniere (pronounced "Gee-R- Din-ara" ), culinarily, this term refers to dishes served with mixed sliced vegetables. Most commercial giardineras contain several types of brine-soaked hot peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower, olives and capers packed in soybean oil for shelf life. The following recipe is how we make it fresh at Papa Lena's for several gallons to pack. Our Roasted Red Pepper Chips and garlic-infused olive makes all the difference...

Click on the photo above to see our giardinera up close. You can almost taste it!

Ingredients and preparation
3 green bell peppers, 3 red bell peppers, 2 green Poblano, 10 fresh jalapenos, 20 green finger hot, 20 serrano, 5 light green banana peppers, 2 heads of fresh fennel or ANISE, 4 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 cup red pepper flakes, 2 containers of Papa Lena's Roasted Red Pepper Chips (Authentic Italian ) crushed in your hand, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 pound Mediterranean olives, 1/2 pound Kalamata Olives, 1/2 pound cracked green Sicilian olives, one 24 oz jar of mini capers.

All veggies are diced, sliced and or chopped separately then assembled in the following order.
Step one: We like to chop, cut, and mince all of the peppers. Place them in the XL stainless steel mixing bowl
Step two: fold in the chopped fresh fennel and minced garlic
Step three: spread all dried ingredients evenly
Step four: add your olives and capers
Step five: now all the mixed Giardiniera goes into plastic containers until 3/4 full. Then we add our Papa Lena's Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Infused spicy hot olive oil.

All the containers go into the fridge and then into boxes to bring over to each family member and beloved friends as a gift of love from you for their total enjoyment.

Remember to add Xtra HOT for Pa or you will hear about it!

Ok, you follow the preparation directions here and you will have an amazing topenade for your beef and sausage "sang-wichs", steaks, salads and pizza.

Mangia, Mangia, Abundanza!

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Search inside for what your passion is calling you to do with your life. Be enthusiastic and passionate about it in your thoughts, words and actions and your experience will guide you further.

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