This dinner was really prepared in the early autumn. We are lucky here in the Northwest in that our summers usually hang around well into the fall. However, even when the weather fails us, like this year, the produce seems to keep on coming. For this dinner, I wanted to showcase some of the beautiful figs, beets, and tomatoes that I found on display at my local farmers market (in October!). I find that the best dinners usually revolve around what is fresh and seasonal, and then you build around those ingredients.

I drew my inspiration from these fresh ingredients, and created a common thread, by infusing all of my dishes with Mediterranean flavors. My husband is Greek, and is always begging me to cook with the ingredients that he grew up with. By adding components like feta, figs, honey and fresh squid, I drew from his heritage. I also created a variety of dishes that could all be prepared days ahead of time, including the main course, which is even better after sitting for a few days! This allows me to create delicious food, that doesn’t all have to be cooked at the last minute.