The Process

1. Now this tends to be the place to give you all the steps to prepare a recipe. But those are already in each recipe and would be a bit overwhelming to have in one list. So I will mainly give you a timeline on what recipe to start when, plus the extra quick Marinated Feta.

Marinated Feta

1. Let’s start with the quickest recipe of the bunch, Marinated Feta.
2. Get one or two blocks of good quality feta that you generally enjoy. Cut it in ½ in/1cm cubes and add to a fitting container you have a lid for.
3. In a small bowl, mix 2 -4 tbsp olive oil with 1-2 tbsp Za’atar (depending on the amount of feta blocks you decided to use). Pour the mixture over the feta cubes and gently mix, to coat them. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. This can be done up to 3 days in advance and the flavour will only improve. And your first recipe is done.

3 days before your Vegetarian Mezze Feast

1. Get your shopping done

2 days before your Vegetarian Mezze Feast

1. Soak the Chickpeas for your Falafel and, if starting from dried chickpeas instead of canned, for your Hummus.
2. Start the dough for your Sourdough flatbread either 1 or 2 days in advance, to get ahead. It will become more flavourful as it ferments and can be kept in the fridge.
3. Prepare the marinated feta by cuting 1-2 blocks of feta in cubes and mixing it with 2-4 tbsp of oilve oil and 1-2 tbsp Za’atar.

1 day before your Vegetarian Mezze Feast

1. Prepare all the dips you plan to make. They all keep happily in the fridge for a few days
2. Prepare the Falafel dough, but don’t add the baking powder yet, as it loses its raising power when left too long. Store in a lidded container in the fridge.
3. Chop all the veggies for dipping and store in separate containers, so they keep fresh. Alternatively, if you have helpers on the day, you can chop them fresh.
4. If you have enough space in your fridge, you can pre-shape balls from the Flatbread sourdough already and keep them on a baking parchment lined tray in the fridge, that you cover with oiled clingfilm.

In the Morning:

1. Fill a large cooking pot ½ with sunflower or vegetable oil for frying.
2. Transfer all your dips into pretty serving bowls and cover with clingfilm

2h before serving

1. Lay the table. Don’t forget spoons for all the dips.
2. Prepare the Cucumber-Tomato-Salad as described in the Vegan Falafel Wrap recipe.
3. In short: Chop cucumber and cherry tomatoes into about ½ in/1cm pieces, chop 1 onion, roughly chop the parsley. Mix with juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
4. Choose how to serve your mezze feast. You could use a large board, or like I did, some granite slates. Or scatter the dips across your table with plates of veggies and sides in between.
5. Garnish your dips with drizzles of olive oil, Za’atar, pomegranate seeds and sesame. Cover with clingfilm until ready to serve.
6. Distribute the cut and ready vegetables, dried and fresh fruit and other sides between plates or arrange on a board. Cover with clingfilm to keep fresh while you prepare the warm dishes.

1h before serving

1. Slowly heat your oil for frying the Falafel, to time it with the flatbreads being fried
2. Roll out the Sourdough Naan Bread and store between pieces of baking parchment or cling film
3. Fry and keep warm
4. Or fill your Sourdough Flatbread with Feta and store the filled spirals on a parchment lined and oiled tray covered with clingfilm
5. Start rolling out your Sour flatbread with Feta while you fry, as you will need to transfer right from the paper into the pan piece by piece
6. Keep the Flatbreads warm and soft by wrapping into a clean kitchen towel and storing between 2 large plates, the top one being upside down, to create a warm and moist environment.
7. If you feel you might take longer, you could also turn on your oven to the lowest setting and store the whole batch including plates in there to keep them warm.
8. Fry the Falafel according to the recipe. If you are making a very large batch, keep them warm in the oven in between frying the batches of them.
9. Remove the clingfilm from all dishes, add Falafel and Flatbreads to your Vegetarian Mezze Feast and you are ready to serve!
10. Gather your loved ones around the table, ideally while the Falafel are frying, and enjoy the stunning feast.