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Make Vibrant Mezze the Whole Meal

Mashed eggplant with capers, scallions and parsley.Credit...Danny Ghitis for The New York Times

A bowl of olives, a burnished slice of roasted feta cheese, a smoky eggplant dip, perhaps some lemony stuffed grape leaves or a plate of creamy hummus: These are all mezze, tapas-like appetizers that are served at room temperature, meant to accompany drinks and conversation.

Summer is the perfect time to adopt this custom, which is enjoyed throughout the eastern Mediterranean. And even though a vibrant round of mezze can precede a larger feast or main course, an entire informal meal of mezze, served indoors or out, is a brilliant solution for summertime dining.

Whether mezze (or meze, or mezedhes) are ordered at a restaurant, where the small plates may cover the entire table, or served at home on Sundays, when most families gather, the drink of choice is one of several anise-flavored alcoholic beverages.

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Cucumbers with feta, mint and sumac.Credit...Danny Ghitis for The New York Times

In Greece it is ouzo; raki is served in Turkey; arak can be found in Lebanon and elsewhere. (They are similar to French pastis or Italian sambuca.) Typically diluted with water, two to one, and poured over ice, they are all quite refreshing warm-weather libations.

When I visited Istanbul, my hosts took me to their favorite raki joint, where we spent hours around the table sipping, while sampling delicious offerings from the kitchen. Raki without food is out of the question, I learned.

Many mezze are salad-like preparations or dips that can be made ahead of time. Vegetable dishes are ideal, especially now, with the markets brimming with farm-fresh produce. Here I offer three vegetable mezze recipes for inspiration.

Eggplant is a Middle Eastern staple, used in countless ways. This Turkish-style eggplant dip can be made in advance, ready to spread on baguette toasts or warm pita bread. It features a generous amount of chopped capers (use the flavorful salt-packed kind if you can), scallions and parsley.

Acidity is achieved in three ways: lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and yogurt, all of which contribute tartness. Of course, there is garlic and olive oil, and a pinch of cayenne. A food processor makes quick work of it, and the flavor improves with sitting.

For an easy cucumber salad with bright, complex flavors, garden-grown summer cucumbers are preferred, but even hothouse cucumbers are vastly improved with this zesty mix of sharp feta, mint, oregano and sumac. The sumac adds a pleasant sour flavor that lemon juice alone does not provide.

You can prepare everything in advance, but to keep the cucumbers crisp, don’t dress them more than 30 minutes before serving.

Got zucchini? A lot? Try it this way. Strips of lightly cooked young summer squash, briefly blanched in well-salted water, make a surprisingly flavorful vegetable salad. It’s also a gorgeous one, drizzled with a rust-colored roasted pepper vinaigrette you whiz up in the blender and decorated with colorful cherry tomatoes and olives.

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Zucchini and cherry tomatoes with red pepper dressing.Credit...Danny Ghitis for The New York Times

Most of the necessary ingredients called for are easily found at farmers’ markets or a supermarket. Some more-unusual ones, like sumac, pomegranate molasses and Maras pepper flakes, can be bought online.

But it’s more fun to pick them up at a Middle Eastern grocery. There you’ll find the best assortment of pita and other freshly baked flatbreads, along with olives of every sort, interesting pickles, plump dates and irresistible savory and sweet phyllo pastries.

You’re sure to discover other tantalizing provisions for your mezze table in the process.

Recipes: Mashed Eggplant With Capers, Scallions and Parsley | Cucumbers With Feta, Mint and Sumac | Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes With Red Pepper Dressing

And to Drink ...

If the weather is hot and the dish is not, like this mashed eggplant recipe, don’t think too hard about which wine to serve. Essentially, you want something bone dry, cold and zesty, incisive enough to go with the forceful flavors but, above all, refreshing. Any number of wines fit this formula. I’d start off with dry rosés from southern France — still plenty of those in the stores. Sauvignon blancs from the Loire Valley, like Sancerre or Pouilly-Fuissé, would be delicious, as would Corsican vermentinus. Greek whites would go great, not just the critical darling assyrtiko, but the rose-tinged moschofilero as well. Plenty of Italian whites, like fianos and falanghinas from Campania, are also worth considering. You may also consider a briny Manzanilla. ERIC ASIMOV

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section D, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: These Small Bites Add Up to a Brilliant Meal. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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