Vegetables & Hot Mezze Recipe

Option A — Roasted carrot hummus (if using homemade)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss peeled carrot halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt; spread on a baking sheet and roast until very tender and caramelized, 25–30 minutes. Cool slightly. In a food processor combine roasted carrots, 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 3 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil and 2–3 tbsp warm water; process until very smooth, scraping down sides. Adjust salt and lemon to taste and transfer to serving bowl. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley on top.

Option B — Smoky baba ghanoush (if making from scratch)

Preheat broiler or grill. Prick the eggplants several times and roast whole until skin is charred and flesh is collapsed, about 25–35 minutes, turning occasionally. Cool until manageable, peel and scoop flesh into a sieve to drain 10 minutes. Combine eggplant flesh, 4 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl or food processor; blend or mash to a chunky, slightly smoky dip. Season with salt and more lemon if needed. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sumac and parsley.

Option C — Warm spiced green beans

Trim green beans. Blanch in heavily salted boiling water for 2 minutes until bright green, then shock in ice water and drain. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, cook 30 seconds. Add drained green beans and 1 tbsp lemon juice; toss until heated through, season with 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle toasted pine nuts if desired.

Option D — Charred broccolini with lemon and chili

Trim broccolini. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Toss broccolini with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Working in batches, char broccolini 2–3 minutes per side until tender-crisp and charred. Return to medium heat, add 1 minced garlic clove and 1 tbsp lemon juice; toss 30 seconds. Season with pepper, a pinch of Aleppo or crushed red pepper, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley. Serve warm.

Option E — Zaatar-spiced roasted mushrooms

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Clean and halve or quarter mushrooms to uniform size. Toss mushrooms with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp zaatar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast 15–20 minutes until browned and juiced. Remove, finish with 1 tbsp lemon juice and more olive oil, garnish with parsley and pine nuts.

Option F — Marinated feta & olives

In a bowl combine 8 oz cubed feta and 1 cup mixed olives with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp pepper and a pinch of salt. Let marinate at room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving so flavors meld. Finish with parsley and a dusting of sumac if using.

Choose one mezze from the options above to prepare. If using store-bought dips, transfer them to shallow serving bowls and dress as suggested in the option descriptions.

Arrange the chosen mezze on a medium platter or individual plates. Add warm flatbread wedges on the side. Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons olive oil over dips or vegetables as desired and sprinkle toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley for freshness and crunch.

Provide small spoons and plates for sharing. Serve immediately while warm, or bring room-temperature dips to the table with lemon wedges and extra olive oil for guests to add to taste.