This Vegetarian Dinner Party Menu Lets the Host Relax

Most of the time, I take a very casual approach to having guests for dinner. I don’t mind doing a little cooking while people hang out in the kitchen; in fact, I enjoy it.

But sometimes, it’s more relaxing to have the entire menu ready, especially if some of it can be cooked a day in advance. This is one of those menus. It takes a little work to put together, but comes with great reward: There’s barely any last-minute fussing.

In Morocco — and similarly throughout the Middle East — the most delicious salads are made with seasoned, cooked vegetables, not leafy greens. For a first course, I made a smoky eggplant salad with cilantro, infused with cumin, hot pepper and a generous amount of olive oil. It’s a winning combination.

Recipe: Roasted Eggplant Salad

Seriously blackening the eggplants — preferably very firm ones, with fewer seeds — under the broiler achieves the perfect smoky flavor. Once they collapse from the intense heat, you scrape away the charred skin, then shred and dress the steamed flesh. The salad will keep, refrigerated, for several days. Serve at room temperature with radishes, olives and a crusty loaf or toast.

For an impressive make-ahead main course, I wanted a savory vegetable pie, modeled after the classic Moroccan b’stilla, usually made with squab, pigeon or chicken. It isn’t traditional, of course, but this vegetarian version is quite delicious, flaky, buttery and fragrant with spices.