I have been making a ton of meze dishes recently.  Mezes are small
plates that are usually served as the first course at the main meal in many Eastern Mediterranean countries.  You start with some hummus, babaghanoush (or mutabal), lebne, seasonal vegetables, etc. before having a simply grilled meat or fish.  I love this
style of eating, because you get to eat a variety of dishes that are
usually centered around incredibly fresh ingredients.  And if you are someone who loves
to cook, you can always get creative and have fun with the traditional
recipes.  Meze are my staple for get-togethers.  The other night a
group of friends got together for a Mediterranean-themed pot-luck
dinner, and I pulled out some Kitchen Caravan recipes.  I made our
Traditional Lebanese Hummus; Avocado, Cannellini & Preserved Lemon
Dip; a light eggplant dip with mint; and our Waldorf Salad in
Circassian Clothing.  The hummus always takes a while to prepare, but as with
everything in a slow kitchen, the extra time and effort is well worth
it.  I always keep leftovers to eat in sandwiches or with potatoes
(weird idea, but check this out).  I love the Circassian Chicken dish,
which is a Turkish recipe that we adjusted to include black walnuts,
and in the Fall, Conchord grapes and crisp apples (hence the Waldorf). 
The black walnuts are incredibly rich, but pair well with the mellow
chicken.  The grapes and apples add a crunch that cuts the heaviness of
the nut sauce.  I normally do not cook recipes from food magazines
(I have the tendency to deviate), but the article in this last Food and
Wine was too intriguing for me not to try.  They highlighted a young
Turkish chef who likes to play on traditional ingredients, and I was
hosting Book Club at my house, so I thought I might give them a try. I
was going to make the green lentil hummus, but once the lentils were
fully cooked, I realized that they were actually split peas.  That is
what I get for storing my lentils and peas in the same container. 
Anyway, the split pea hummus (which I added a bunch of mint to) was a
huge hit.  I also made his dirty potatoes, which are new potatoes that
are roasted and then tossed with an olive paste.  My favorite new
pantry staple is zeytin ezmesi, or Turkish olive paste, which you can
use in a million different ways and it is super cheap.  The recipe called for chopped Kalamata olives, but I say that everyone should keep a jar of zeytin ezmesi handy.  Last but not
least, I made the goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves.  For some reason
I have always been intimidated by grape leaves, but when I read this
recipe, they seemed so non-confrontational.  I did mine with Coach Farm
aged goat cheese, and tossed it with marjoram, oregano, and dried
lavender (the recipe calls for thyme, rosemary, and lavender).  You
basically wrap the cheese slices in blanched grape leaves and then
grill them lightly until the cheese melts.  They were to die for, and I
will be telling everyone to make them.  That and split pea hummus.