I was watching an episode of “Only Murders in the Building” recently when it hit me: Martin Short might be onto something with his “dips for dinner” diet concept.

After putting a few summer mezze platters together, it's easy to follow his logic. Flavorful dips are the first building blocks of a good mezze board — my go-to idea for these late summer days.

Why? Because right now, local farmers markets offer plenty of produce at peak flavor. Tomatoes are at their sweetest, cucumbers are their crunchiest, and if you're lucky, your backyard garden is also having its best days.

A mezze platter also is easy to make and the perfect option for this time of year when relaxing comes easy but motivation is elusive.

The word mezze can be traced to ancient Persia as a term for “savoring in little bites.” This type of cuisine, popular in both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, is all about sharing — both with small plates of savory dishes and drinks in a laid-back setting, along with conversation.

The components of a mezze platter can be as simple or as complex as you like. If you feel like being creative, make some things from scratch, but it's just as OK to mix in favorites from the market or specialty shops. Either way, all the prep happens in advance and everything is served at room temperature. So you'll spend more time cocktailing and less time clock watching.

So what should you include on your mezze board?

There are many Mideast and Mediterranean inspirations to draw from and not a lot of rules. Mezze recipes tend to vary from region to region, but in places like Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon and Israel, common components are flavorful dips like hummus, tzatziki and baba ganoush, surrounded by fresh veggies, pitas or flatbreads, all ready for dipping.

Mezze boards are crowd-pleasing because there's usually something for everyone. The best ones create contrasts in flavor, texture and color. For example, the cool, mint- and dill-flavored tzatziki (made with yogurt) offers a welcome contrast to the warm, peppery spice of a muhammara dip (made with roasted red peppers).

Balance salty things like feta cheese with sweet bowls of dried or fresh cut fruit. Choose bright red radishes, carrots or even melon for vibrant pops of color. Lemons and pickles add a nice touch of acid. Place crunchy veggies and nuts next to soft olives and pita slices, with a variety of options always in mind.

For the board you see here. I made my own tzatziki and muhammara dips using short, easy-to-follow recipes from the food blog Love and Lemons. The hummus, mixed Greek olives and flatbreads all came from Trader Joe's. The veggies are from the farmers market and my garden.

I opted for making my own pitas, which is a little more time-consuming but worth it. If you would rather buy them, a tasty option are the fresh-baked pitas at Anthos Bakery in Castle Shannon or Pitaland in Brookline. 

When you're ready to assemble, start with a sturdy tray, platter or board. Make the dips the focal point with smaller bowls and plates of olives, nuts and pickles nearby. Fill the empty spaces with veggies like radishes, carrots, cucumbers or zucchini, all cut in ready-to-dip sizes. Tuck pitas and flatbreads around the sides.

If you want to go beyond these simple choices, the options are limitless. Recipes often incorporate meat, seafood, grains and salads.

As chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi notes in his mezze tutorials on MasterClass: “Mezze is really all about opening up the appetite, starting a meal and getting the juices flowing,” he says. “You really want the flavors. You want the intensity. You want the beautiful colors.”

Other mezze choices include: 

* Dolmas — stuffed grape leaves with rice, herbs and often meat.

* Tabbouleh — a salad made with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur and seasonings.

* Baba ganoush —a dip made from roasted eggplant, tahini, olive oil and seasonings

* Feta cheese by itself or marinated with herbs and spices

* Labneh — a tangy, thick yogurt strained to the consistency of cheese

* Chickpeas, either marinated or dry-roasted and seasoned

* Vegetables like zuchinni, peppers, fennel, avocado, sugar snap peas, celery and eggplant

* Greek kalamata and other flavorful olives

* Fruits like cantaloupe, melon, raisins, and dried apricots

* Nuts like walnuts and almonds

Below are three recipes to get you started. Grab some friends and family, relax and take in every moment as the last days of summer slowly fade away. 

Tom O'Connor: tomoconnorphoto@gmail.com or tomoconnor.me

TZATZIKI DIP

PG tested

1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, seeded with a small amount of peel still on

1 cup thick whole-milk Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove grated

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Grate cucumber using largest holes on a box grater to add texture.

Squeeze water out of grated cucumber. This step is essential for making creamy tzatziki. If you skip it, the water will cause your sauce to separate. Squeeze the cucumber directly over a sink or bowl using cheesecloth or press it lightly between kitchen or paper towels.

In a medium bowl, mix the squeezed cucumber with the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and herbs, and chill until ready to use.

Serves 4-6.

— Adapted from loveandlemons.com

MUHAMMARA DIP

PG tested

Pomegranate molasses is very concentrated pomegranate juice. It has a syrupy consistency and a bold tart/sweet flavor that gives this dip the perfect balance. Look for it in a well-stocked grocery store, a Middle Eastern market or online. If you can’t find it,  sweeten the dip with maple syrup and add extra lemon juice.

¾ cup walnuts

16-ounce jar high-quality roasted red peppers, or roast 2 red peppers of your own

4-6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

1 clove garlic, for bite (optional)

Fresh mint, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange walnuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 8-10 minutes, then set aside. (Alternatively, roast nuts in skillet over medium heat for 2-5 minutes.)

In a food processor, place red peppers, breadcrumbs, toasted walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, pomegranate molasses, red pepper flakes and garlic (if using)

Pulse until smooth, then add salt and pepper to taste. Remove to bowl, then garnish with fresh mint.

Garnish with fresh mint.

Serves 4-6.

— loveandlemons.com

HOMEMADE PITA

PG tested

This takes some time, but the effort is worth it. I baked my pitas in an Ooni pizza oven instead of in a traditional oven, which took a little less time. Watch for the pita to puff up, then quickly flip for a short time, then remove.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ cup whole-wheat flour

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and ¼ cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve ½ cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.

Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may be refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)

Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.

Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into flat disk with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter about ⅛ inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)

Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet or baking stone. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with rest of the dough balls.

Makes 8 pita.

— nytimes.com

First Published: August 30, 2022, 10:00 a.m.