This year, I acquired a trio of serving dishes: a petite, metallic tray found at a thrift store on which I serve crisps to elevate their appearance; a medium-sized splattered enamel one for daily use; and an oversized, steel serving plate for hosting guests. I’m not sure why this happened, but I can tell you that I love the energy that platters give to a table, and the gentle sense of pomp and formality they add to even basic dishes. My love for the platter has dictated today’s recipe, a final fling using the remaining summer produce atop fluffy feta.
Roasted Veggies with Za'atar with Creamy Feta Dip
You’ll need a food processor to prepare the feta spread.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 40 min
Yields 4
- 400g courgettes, chopped into uneven, about 3cm chunks
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1½cm-thick wedges at their widest point
- 300 grams of feta cheese
- High-quality olive oil
- Two teaspoons of za'atar, with more to garnish
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1 small aubergine (450 grams), cut into irregular, about 5cm by 4cm pieces
- 100g greek yoghurt
- Zest and juice from one lemon – you’ll need only ½ tbsp of the juice
- A 570g jar of butter beans, drained to get 240g (reserve the remainder)
- 20g fresh mint, leaves plucked and shredded, to serve
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and prepare two big baking sheets using parchment paper.
Combine the zucchini and onion in a mixing bowl, crumble one-third of the feta in small pieces, and add three tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of za’atar and a half-teaspoon of salt. Spread onto a prepared baking sheet, ensuring the veggies are spaced apart.
Place the diced eggplant into the same bowl, adding two tablespoons of oil, another teaspoon of za’atar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Transfer to the second sheet, setting the bowl aside. Bake both trays of veggies for half an hour, until soft and slightly browned.
Meanwhile, add the leftover 200g feta in a food processor along with the yogurt and three tablespoons of oil, then add the lemon zest, half a tablespoon of lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and process until creamy.
Spread the whipped feta on to a platter large enough for all the veggies. When the vegetables are out of the oven, tip them all, with their juices, back into the saved bowl, stir through the butter beans and mint, and season with a little freshly ground black pepper. Check for seasoning and oil, adjusting as needed, then spoon over the feta spread and present.
