mezze madness

It all started with some leftover steamed sweet potato and a bit of pesto, but boy did it snowball.

Last summer we went to a friend’s place for lovely early-evening mezze before I headed off to the States. All the dishes were lovely, but the roast sweet potato with pesto was particularly memorable.

With tabbouleh on the brain and sweet potato and pesto in the fridge, I figured, eh, why not have a mezze night? Every time we head to our favourite Turkish restaurant around the corner from us in Hackney, I dive into their divine mezze plate. Why not try my own version, with is soaked with demonstrably less unidentifiable red oil?

It was actually very easy and required minimal cooking. We ate spread out on a blanket on the living room floor, like a little picnic. Cue the ‘awwww’s…

sweet potato with pesto

leftover steamed sweet potato, with two tablespoon of pesto mixed in. Though it could be roasted should you prefer. Serve cold.

roasted aubergine

oh so simple. Preheat the oven to 200 C and roast two aubergines, sliced in half lengthwise, with a few sprays of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. When done, scrape the aubergine out from its skin and serve in a bowl.

tabbouleh

you know the drill

courgette, dill and yogurt

a bit like tzatziki. Add the courgettes and dill to a food processor and finely chop. Mix in three spoonfuls of fat-free natural yogurt and season well.

carrot, radish and thyme

a little one I made up. Very earthy, and a refreshing break from the other, more classic flavours. Chuck one large carrot (or two

olives and feta

hh, do I need to explain?

stuffed vine leaves

no, I didn’t make them – but only £1.95 for eight of these bad boys – you gotta love them.

harissa

This lovely chilli garlic “relish” goes with absolutely everything. But beware – it’s very hot (though worth it).

All served with warm tortillas. To die for. My favourite? I couldn’t possibly pick… they’re like children to me now…

restaurant review: Tas

Given the recent explosion in the popularity of mezze, Tas should be faring quite well. And considering that the restaurant, which opened eight years ago with locations in London Bridge and Waterloo, has expanded to nine sites, Tas is faring quite well indeed.

The reputation of the mezze genre may bring a few customers through the doors who wouldn't have ventured forth before, but Tas' food is good. One wonders whether it is places like this that have contributed in fact to the overall regard for mezze throughout London and other areas.

Though I've heard it called "dips for dinner", I don't quite agree. However, there is a lovely and friendly informality about this style of eating: it's almost like the pub of eating. No obligation to eat a large meal, yet no limits to how much you can order. It's undeniably similar to tapas, yet with a fresh, light and moreish quality about it.

On a quiet Monday evening in the Cut down by Southwark, we ordered one of the set menus. There were four to choose from, and we chose the predominantly vegetarian one, though there was one lamb and two shellfish dishes included too.

First, a proper tabbouleh, loaded to the brim with parsley. Great all on its own, it also helped to cleanse the palate between the tas, which are the traditional cooking pots used to cook casseroles. A lamb hummus quickly followed, though there was a bitterness to it that took a bit of getting used too. When I returned to have another go after the other dishes, however, the flavours tasted much more mellow.

Next, Zeytin yagli bakla – which Tas says is made of fresh broad beans, coriander, red and green peppers, dill, garlic and olive oil. It was absolutely wonderful – fresh and delightful. Then, Kasir – bulgur wheat (one of my favourites) with walnuts, tomato, herbs and spring onion.

The hot aubergine dish – Xeytin Yagli Patlican – was one of the stars. Roasted aubergine ostensibly then shredded and mizzed with tomato, garlic, peppers and chickpeas – was intense and earthy. I could have eaten more.

Another palate cleanser: the spinach and fresh yogurt.

Alongside the dazzling array of dishes were the nibbles – the obligatory yet tasty falafel, the pastry filled with spinach, fried calamari (I'm amazed how many cuisines claim calamari into their national repertoire), and midye tava, or fried mussels with garlic sauce. These were all nice, but unnecessary – although if I had to choose a favourite of these four (and only since it's September and they're in season), I'd choose the mussels.

I'd definitely recommend Tas to a friend – particularly if one was looking for a place down by the Southbank/the Cut area to eat. Tourists are minimal, prices are reasonable (the set meal was £9.90 per person), the food filling and fresh yet not overpowering, and the style of eating - the casual dating of the restaurant world – is fantastic.

Tas Restaurant, 33 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LF

www.tasrestaurant.com

---

For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit Yahoo! For Good this month.