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This year, I acquired a trio of serving dishes: a small, silver-plated one from a local charity shop on which I serve crisps to make them look fancy; a mid-size splattered enamel one for daily use; and an oversized, stainless-steel one for hosting guests. It's unclear how this occurred, but I must admit that I love the energy which platters bring to the dining setup, along with a touch of elegance and formality they add to even basic dishes. This affection for platters inspired today's dish, one last celebration using the remaining summer produce served over whipped feta.

Roasted Veggies with Za'atar and Whipped Feta

You’ll need an electric mixer for the whipped feta.

Preparation 15 minutes
Cook 40 min
Yields 4

• 400 grams of zucchini, cut into irregular, about 3cm chunks
• One red onion, skinned and sliced into 1½cm-thick wedges at their widest point
• 300g feta
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Two teaspoons of za'atar, plus extra for serving
• Fine sea salt and black pepper
• One small eggplant (450g), cut into irregular, roughly 5cm x 4cm shapes
• 100 grams of Greek yogurt
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon – use just half a tablespoon of juice
• A 570g jar of butter beans, drained to yield 240 grams (save the rest for another use)
• 20 grams of fresh mint, leaves picked and torn, for garnishing

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) or 425°F and prepare two big baking sheets using parchment paper.

Combine the zucchini and onion in a bowl, break in a third of the feta in small pieces, and add three tablespoons of oil, one teaspoon of za'atar and a half-teaspoon of salt. Tip out on to one of the lined trays, 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. Tip out on to the second tray, and save the bowl for later. Roast both trays of vegetables for 30 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.

In the meantime, put the remaining 200g feta to 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 big enough to hold all the vegetables. When the vegetables are out of the oven, tip them all, with their juices, back into the reserved bowl, stir through the butter beans and the mint, and season with black pepper. Check for seasoning and oil, adjusting as needed, then spoon over the feta spread and present.