These days when we are all cooking from our pantries so much more, it really does pay to have some stellar olive oil on hand.

Just a drizzle can turn grilled bread, simple salad greens, or even a tub of store-bought hummus into something special.

And if you can get your hand on a bottle of the new limited-edition 2019 Séka Hills Tribal Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then you really have struck gold.

Fortunately, a sample landed in my mailbox recently, and I’ve been using it liberally on thick asparagus spears, summer squash, and even fresh popped popcorn (for all those Netflix nights, of course).

The olive oil is made by the Yocha Dehe Wintuan Nation, which sustainably manages more than 22,000 acres on its tribal land in the Capay Valley.

The best extra virgin olive oils from its 2019 harvest were blended to make the Tribal Blend, a mix of estate Arebeqina, Frantoio, and Taggiasca olives.

The lush, buttery oil is fragrant with notes of green almonds and bay leaf. It has a bright spring taste with just a hint of green tea astringency on the finish.

A 500ml bottle is $28 on the Séka Hills web site. It’s a rather ingenious bottle design, too. Unscrew the top cap and a spout pops up to make pouring a breeze.

Contest Winner

In last week’s Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me your most memorable experience involving spicy food.

The winner will receive a free 3-jar sampler pack of Tiger Sate Mild, Medium and Hot sauces (a $25 value).

And don’t forget that if you didn’t win, you can still try this artisan small-batch Vietnamese chili sauce at a special discount through July 6. Get 20 percent off with free shipping on any order by using the coupon code: FOODGAL.

Congrats to the winner:

Julie, who wrote, “When our office was in Downtown San Jose, I used to go to Hapa Musubi once a week or so. One day I was having lunch with a coworker and I mentioned a mutual friend. He said it was difficult, because every time they had a ‘serious’ conversation she would start crying, which was really uncomfortable. Then we started talking about a project I was working on for him. I was eating a spam and jalapeno musubi at the time and it was HOT. Suddenly tears were running down my face and I started sniffling. He looked at me and looked shocked so I had to tell him I wasn’t crying, I was just eating a really hot jalapeno. I’m still not sure he bought it!”