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Recently, I purchased a trio of serving dishes: a petite, silver-plated one found at a thrift store on which I serve crisps to make them look fancy; a mid-size colorful enamel platter for everyday everything; and an oversized, stainless-steel one for dinner parties. I’m not sure why this happened, but I can tell you that I adore the vibe that platters give to a table, and the gentle sense of pomp and ceremony they lend even the simplest of meals. This affection for platters inspired today's dish, a final fling with the very last summer produce atop whipped feta.

Za’atar Roast Vegetables with Creamy Feta Dip

It requires an electric mixer for the whipped feta.

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Serves four portions

• 400 grams of zucchini, chopped into uneven, about 3cm chunks
• One red onion, peeled and cut into 1½cm-thick wedges at their widest point
• 300 grams of feta cheese
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Two teaspoons of za'atar, plus extra for serving
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 small aubergine (450g), diced unevenly, roughly 5cm x 4cm shapes
• 100g greek yoghurt
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon – use just half a tablespoon of juice
• 570g jar butter beans, drained to yield 240 grams (save the rest for another use)
• 20 grams of fresh mint, leaves picked and torn, to serve

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and line two large rectangular baking trays with (ideally reusable) baking paper.

Put the courgettes and onion in a bowl, break in a third of the feta in small pieces, then mix in three tablespoons of oil, one teaspoon of za'atar and half a teaspoon of salt. Tip out on to one of the lined trays, ensuring the veggies are spaced apart.

Put the chopped aubergine in the now-empty bowl, and add 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 half an hour, until soft and slightly browned.

In the meantime, put the remaining 200g feta in a food processor along with the yogurt and three tablespoons of oil, include the lemon zest, half a tablespoon of lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and blitz until smooth.

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, cooking juices included, back into the saved bowl, mix in the butter beans and mint, and season with a little freshly ground black pepper. Taste for salt and oil, adding both to taste, then spoon over the feta spread and present.