How to make the ultimate mezzeInspired by our recent Mediterranean escape (see more here!), we've compiled the best mezze recipes for a full on summer feast. From fresh salads to creamy dips, charred seafood to veggie light bites, mezze is simply a relaxed way of eating an array of different dishes with family, friends and a glass (or two) of your favourite summer wine. Delicious and simple, here are our picks for the perfect mezze platter. Avocado Skewers I N G R E D I E N T S 4 avocados 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp sesame seeds M E T H O D Preheat oven to 200 ºC/400 ºF. Open the avocado in half, take out the stone and gently scoop out the flesh in one piece. Cut the avocado into wedges and gently put on a little wooden stick. Brush with sweet chili sauce and drizzle with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Recipe & photography from A Tasty Love Story. Watermelon Feta Bites I N G R E D I E N T S Block style feta cheese (not crumbled) Seedless watermelon (you won’t need a whole one) Small basil leaves Toothpicks M E T H O D Place the block of feta cheese in your freezer for 10-15 minutes, this will make it easier to cut. Meanwhile, cut the watermelon into cubes, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch in size. Remove the cheese from the freezer and, using a sharp knife, cut the block into 1/2 inch cubes. To assemble, thread one watermelon cube, one basil leaf and one feta cube onto toothpicks. These can be stored in the refrigerator for a short time (1-2 hours) before serving, or served immediately. Recipe & photography from Floating Kitchen. Prosciutto-Melon Toast Serves 1 I N G R E D I E N T S 1 tablespoon fat cream cheese, softened 1 (1-oz.) slice whole-grain bread, toasted 1 1/2 very thin prosciutto slices (about 1/2 oz.) 2 thin cantaloupe slices Dash of black pepper M E T H O D Spread cream cheese over bread; top with prosciutto and cantaloupe. Sprinkle with pepper. Recipe from Cooking Light, photography by Hector Manuel Sanchez. Courgette and Manouri Fritters Serves 4 (12 fritters) I N G R E D I E N T S 3 medium courgettes, trimmed and coarsely grated (580g) 2 small shallots, finely chopped (50g) 2 garlic cloves, crushed finely grated zest of 2 limes 60g self-raising flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 150g manouri (or halloumi or feta), roughly broken into 1–2cm chunks 150ml sunflower oil, for frying Coarse sea salt and black pepper Lime and cardamom soured cream: 200ml soured cream 5g coriander, roughly chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime M E T H O D Mix together all the ingredients for the soured cream sauce in a small bowl, along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve. Place the grated courgettes in a colander and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 10 minutes, then squeeze them to remove most of the liquid: you want the courgettes to keep a little bit of moisture, so don’t squeeze them completely dry. Transfer to a large bowl and add the shallots, garlic, lime zest, flour, eggs, ground coriander, cardamom and a grind of black pepper. Mix well to form a uniform batter, then fold in the manouri cheese gently so it doesn’t break up much. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan so it rises 2-3mm up the sides and place on a medium heat. Once hot, add 4 separate heaped dessertspoons of mixture to the pan, spacing them well apart and flattening each fritter slightly with the flat side of a slotted spoon as they cook. Cook for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and keep somewhere warm while you continue with the remaining two batches. Place 3 fritters on each plate and serve at once, with the sauce alongside or in a bowl on the side. Recipe & photography from 'NOPI The Cookbook' by Ramael Scully and Yotam Ottolenghi. Hummus topped with Chilli Oil Serves 4-6 I N G R E D I E N T S Hummus: ½ cup /120 ml of fridge-cold aquafaba 250 g / a little over 1¼ cup of dry chickpeas (3 cups cooked), soaked overnight 4 tbsp / ¼ cup lemon juice ¾-1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed 1/3 cup tahini, hulled ¼ cup / 60 ml fridge-cold water Chilli Oil: ½ cup olive oil (not extra virgin) 2-3 tbsp hot chilli flakes ¼ tsp salt (optional) M E T H O D Rinse your chickpeas after an overnight soak and put them into a large pot with plenty of fresh water. Bring them to the boil and simmer for about 75-90 minutes, until very tender and almost falling apart. To make chilli oil, bring ½ cup of olive oil to a gentle boil. Take it off the heat. Stir chilli flakes and salt (if using) into the hot oil. Set aside to cool down before using. Once cooked, fish the chickpeas out of the pot with a slotted spoon and rinse them under a stream of cold water to help loosen the skin. Let chickpea cooking water cool down completely (it’s best to refrigerate it for a few hours prior to using if you don’t need to make hummus straight away). Peel the chickpeas – simply rub them between your hands and then slip the skin off gently with your fingers. Once peeled, let the chickpeas cool down completely. Put ½ cup of fridge cold water into the blender, half of your chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice. Put the lid on and start trickling cold liquid in slowly while mixture is blending. Once your first batch is smooth and a little on the runny side, add in the remaining chickpeas and blend them in trickling in more liquid as needed. In order to help the motor work the thick mixture, make small circles with the tip of your spatula (in the direction of turning blades) on the surface of the revolving mixture. This will help to burst an air pocket under the surface and helps the motor to turn. Season with salt, garlic, cumin and blend again until smooth and well seasoned throughout. Serve with a drizzle of chilli oil, toasted bread or pita bread, olives, pickles and anything that takes your fancy. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for about 3-4 days. Recipe & photography from Lazy Cat Kitchen. BBQ Scallops Serves 2-6 I N G R E D I E N T S 12 scallops, trimmed, with the shells 100 ml dry white wine ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley , leaves picked Chilli Garlic Butter: 2 tablespoons olive oil 100 g salted butter 3 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 fresh red chilli 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper M E T H O D Spread hot coals over the base of your barbecue in a flat and even layer – the scallops are going to be cooked directly on the coals, so it doesn’t matter which barbecue technique you use here. Start by making the chilli garlic butter, which you can do on the barbecue or over a medium heat on the hob – basically, the longer those flavours get to hang out together, the better. Place the oil and butter in a pan to melt. Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and chilli (keep the seeds in if you like the heat), then add to the pan with the black pepper. Give it a good stir, let all the ingredients party, then set aside. Place the shells with the scallops inside them on a platter, then add a dash of white wine to each one. Using tongs, place each shell directly on the grey coals, carefully positioning them so they can’t tip over. Cover with the lid like an outdoor oven and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through, turning the scallops halfway with tongs. Carefully remove the shells to a serving platter and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the melted chilli garlic butter over each golden scallop. Roughly chop and scatter over the parsley leaves then serve right away. Tip: Ask your fishmonger to prep and clean the scallops for you. You’ll be cooking them in their shells, so make sure you ask for these too. Recipe & photography from Jamie Oliver. Burnt carrots I N G R E D I E N T S 2,5 tbs olive oil 2,5 tbs maple syrup Pinch of sea salt 6 bunches of baby carrots (about 30 small), scrubbed 25g parsley leaves 1/4 cup hazelnuts, halved and roasted Labneh: 2 ts fine salt 900ml full fat plain goats milk yoghurt M E T H O D Preheat the oven to 260C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, maple syrup and salt. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Spread the carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, top with half of the parsley and bake for 10-12 minutes, watching to ensure that the carrots char but do not burn too much. Spread the labneh on a platter using the back of a spoon. Rest the carrots atop the labneh and top with hazelnuts and remaining parsley. Sprinkle with pinch of black salt For the Labneh, set a super fine strainer over a bowl and line with double layer of cheesecloth. Stir the salt into the yoghurt and scrap it to prepared strainer. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or until the labneh has reached the desired consistency. Recipe from 'Simple Fare' by Karen Mordechai, photography by Little Upside Down Cake. Cucumber & Feta Salad Serves 4 I N G R E D I E N T S 2 English cucumbers 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1 block Feta cheese (I love Israeli, but you can use your favourite) 1 bunch fresh dill Juice from 1 lemon Extra-virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt like Maldon, and freshly ground black pepper M E T H O D Slice cucumber into thin rounds — halve them if large. In a large bowl, toss with red onion, then crumble feta over the top. Chop dill and sprinkle over salad, then drizzle with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy! Recipe from Camille Styles, photography by Kristen Kilpatrick. Lemon Dill Chicken Skewers Serves 4-6 I N G R E D I E N T S 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 tablespoons olive oil Juice from 1 medium lemon 2 teaspoons dill 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper M E T H O D Heat the grill on medium-high heat. Cut the chicken breast into 1- 1½ inch cubes. Transfer the cubed chicken to a bowl. Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the chicken and begin massaging the meat with your hand for thirty seconds. Add the dill, salt, and pepper, and continue to massage the meat for another thirty seconds. Skewer 6-8 pieces of chicken on each stick. Carefully pour some oil onto a paper towel, and using tongs, grease the grill. Place the chicken kabobs on the grill and cook for 7-10 minutes, turning the chicken over half way though the process. Recipe & photography from Savoury Sweet Life. Avocado and Broad Bean Serves 4-6 I N G R E D I E N T S 250g podded broad beans (fresh or frozen ) 1 large avocado, peeled and roughly chopped (190g net weight) 1½ tbsp lemon juice, plus 1 strip finely shaved lemon skin 60ml olive oil Salt 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced M E T H O D Fill a small saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Blanch the beans for two minutes, then drain, refresh and drain again. Peel off and discard the beans’ skins, then set aside 50g. Put the rest of the beans in a food processor with the avocado, lemon juice, two tablespoons of oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and blitz until almost smooth. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan on a medium-high flame, then gently fry the spring onions and lemon skin for a minute. Off the heat, stir in the reserved broad beans and a pinch of salt. Spread out the avocado and broad bean mash over a plate, making sure there is a rim around the edge, spoon the spring onion mix into the middle and serve. Tip: Lemon juice prevents the natural discoloration of avocado when it gets mashed, so you can make this ahead of time without worrying about losing that wonderfully vibrant green. Recipe & photography from 'NOPI The Cookbook' by Ramael Scully and Yotam Ottolenghi. Happy mezze making!