My basic Meze platter

It  would probably be easier to list what does not go on a meze platter than what goes on it. The truth is that you can have just about anything on it from lamb, chicken or fish but I have chosen to do a roast vegetable one.  No real reason but it just really goes well together, and then it’s up to you to add whatever you like to make your platter your platter. Also I have split the recipes up so you can make them one at a time. When I listed everything I got confused in what order I was righting them , so I knew that you probably would get confused if I was and I was writing the thing. So now I know what I am doing let’s start with the all-important.

Hummus

½ can chickpeas
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

This is so easy, you drain and rinse off your chickpeas and add everything apart from the parsley to a food processor. Turn it and blend it all into a paste then season with salt and pepper, and garnish with some chopped parsley. Then move on to your second dip.

Baba ganoush

1 jar grilled aubergines
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drain off the aubergines and then like the humus add to the food processor and blend it all in to a paste, season with salt and pepper.

For a dressing make this

1 x 200ml/7floz pot low-fat yogurt  
½ handful fresh mint
½ ruby grapefruit
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Take your mint and chop that and add it to the yogurt, then squeeze out as much juice and flesh as you can from the grapefruit and add that to the yogurt. Now stir this together and season with salt and pepper.

Now for the vegetables

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 medium aubergine
1 medium courgette
Olive oil
1 x 250g/9oz block halloumi
4 mint sprigs

Take the pepper aubergine and courgette and slice them so they are all the same similar size. Then place them on a char grill or barbeque. Once they are all cooked put them in a bowl and cover with cling film so they all steam together as you let them cool. Once cool add the olive oil and diced halloumi cheese. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Finally serve arrange everything in bowls on a platter in the middle of a table. Open a jar of green olives , black olives, pickled chillies, raw carrot sticks, slices of cucumber, celery sticks and some good lemon wedges. Then take four  pitta breads and  lightly toast them and you have a real taste starter snack of just do it as a party buffet.