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This year, I acquired three oval platters: a small, silver-plated one found at a thrift store perfect for presenting snacks to make them look fancy; a medium-sized splattered enamel one for everyday everything; and a very large, steel serving plate 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, and the gentle sense of pomp and ceremony they lend to even basic dishes. My love for the platter has dictated today’s recipe, 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.

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Yields 4

• 400g courgettes, cut into irregular, roughly 3cm x 3cm pieces
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1½cm-thick wedges at their widest point
• 300 grams of feta cheese
• High-quality olive oil
• 2 tsp za’atar, with more to garnish
• Fine sea salt and black pepper
• 1 small aubergine (450g), diced unevenly, roughly 5cm x 4cm shapes
• 100 grams of Greek yogurt
• Zest and juice from one lemon – use just half a tablespoon of juice
• A 570g jar of butter beans, drained to get 240g (reserve the remainder)
• 20g fresh mint, leaves plucked and shredded, for garnishing

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and prepare two big baking sheets with (ideally reusable) baking paper.

Put the courgettes and onion in a bowl, break in a third of the feta into bits, then mix in three tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of za’atar and half a teaspoon of salt. Tip out on to one of the lined trays, making sure all the vegetables have enough legroom.

Place the diced eggplant in the now-empty 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. Bake both trays of veggies for half an hour, until tender and golden in spots.

Meanwhile, put the remaining 200g feta to a food processor with the yoghurt and three tablespoons of oil, include the lemon zest, half a tablespoon of lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and process until creamy.

Spread the whipped feta onto a serving dish large enough for all the veggies. Once the vegetables are baked, transfer 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, adding both to taste, then spoon over the feta spread and serve.