We’re on a bit of a mezze kick this week, if you hadn’t noted. Full disclosure; we were hopeful of nicer weather to be able to take a light dinner outside but we should have known better. We’ve only lived here for most of our lives. Sigh. But when things do perk up in the warmth and sunshine department, there’ll be no stopping us lounging al fresco around platters groaning with bowls of lovely dippy things and breads for scooping them up. It’s one of our favourite ways to dine. 

In places like Turkiye, Lebanon and Syria, mezze is so much more than a ‘starter’ course; it’s a big part of social discourse. Meals there are traditionally shared affairs with mezze sessions often fuelled by alcohol to loosen the mood and unleash the convo. Dishes can be as simple as plates of olives, cheeses or cold cuts like pastirma (a type of spiced, dry-cured beef), or as complicated as olive oil-simmered vegetables, savoury pastries, grain salads, stuffed torpedo-shaped kibbeh, battered, fried calamari, salted sardines, veggie fritters, vine leaf (and other) dolma, and makdous, which are tiny eggplants stuffed with walnuts, capsicum, garlic and chilli, preserved in oil. The repertoire is huge. Vegetable and yoghurt dips are key, providing colour, freshness and a contrast to heartier offerings. Cacik (called tzatziki in Greece), muhammara (see our recipe) baba ghanoush, and, of course, hummus are classic examples, while less familiar examples might be fasulye ezmesi, a Turkish dip of pureed white beans, shanklish (fermented cheese crumbled into a ‘salad’ with finely chopped tomato, onion, oil and parsley), beetroot mutabbal (grated or chopped roasted beetroot with tahini, large lemon and oil), and carrot tarator. Made by combining cooked grated carrot with yoghurt, walnuts and maybe chopped dill, it’s the inspo for the carrot dish here. The other one is just a fun play on hummus; we love the green colour and bright flavour of peas, plus the ease of making something using freezer and pantry staples.

We know it’s so easy to grab ready-to-go dips like these from the supermarket fridge but try making your own. The difference in flavour is mind-blowing, not to mention you know exactly what’s in your dips. And you’ll find out how ridiculously easy and cost-effective they are to make yourself. Serve with pita or Turkish bread or just sourdough if that works better for you.

MAKES 3 CUPS EACH

Carrot tarator

80ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil

650g carrots (about 4 decent-sized ones), grated

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300g thick Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

60g (½ cup) chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

2-3 tbsp chopped dill, or to taste

Pea hummus

1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

280g (2 cups) frozen peas

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp lemon juice or to taste

60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil

small handful mint leaves

Carrot tarator

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot and garlic, then cook, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes or until very soft but not coloured. Remove to a bowl to cool to room temperature. Add the yoghurt and lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the walnuts and dill, then serve. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve; the carrot tarator will keep in the fridge overnight. Just give it a good stir before serving. 

Pea Hummus

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, then process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl. Add a little water to thin to a thick but creamy consistency if necessary. Season to taste with extra lemon juice and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.