Want to know how a professional chef does summer hosting? We found out in our exclusive interview for Homes & Gardens with chef and cookbook author Noor Murad.
Hailing from Bahrain, Noor trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, before moving to the UK in her twenties, where she worked under Ottolenghi – the master of Middle Eastern cuisine – becoming head of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen and co-authoring some of his books.
Noor has now written her own recipe book, which is packed with colorful and creative dishes inspired by ingredients and techniques from her home region. Here, she shares some of the most vibrant summer salad recipes from Lugma: Abundant Dishes And Stories From My Middle East (Quadrille), as part of our How I Host series – an intriguing peek into how some of our favorite names in food and style host in their own homes.
Noor has complemented her stunning recipes with her favorite summer table decor ideas, which both create an impact and enhance the colors in her dishes, for an easy and relaxed summer feast with friends.
Homes & Gardens' How I Host episode
'I really enjoy hosting in the summer as we’re spoilt for choice in terms of what we can bring to the table,' says Noor. 'There are so many vegetables to play with, and people are just happier in the summer, kicking back and enjoying each other’s company. I also love it when they taste the food and enjoy it. It’s something that really brings me joy, to see them having a lovely time.'
Noor creates a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere in her yard, through everything from the bench seating with comfortable cushions, to the fun lanterns and the considered, but not too 'done' table setting, which lends itself to passing dishes around to share and inspire conversation.
'Middle Eastern people love to feed. We’re quite generous in the way that we serve food. A table that looks full and abundant is my style,' she adds.
'Bringing people together via food is just such a lovely way to celebrate friendships and connection. I hope to create a very relaxed, calm and welcoming atmosphere. I want people to just walk in and feel at home - completely taken care of,' Noor adds.
The food is the key starting point when it comes to hosting, and, as with Noor's colorful dishes, the decor can be inspired by key colors or themes in the food. Here are Noor's recipes and tabletop tips to help you re-create her vibrant Middle Eastern feast at home.
Noor Murad's stunning Middle Eastern recipes
Noor's recipes are simple and delicious ways with vegetables and fruit, which she transforms with a clever combination of sweet, sour, spicy and savory ingredients, taking inspiration from her upbringing. 'I always lead with Middle Eastern flavours – it’s just my go-to, it’s my instinct, it’s the way I cook,' she explains.
‘When I think about planning a menu, I think about the time of year and what’s in season. I also think about who’s coming - everyone’s quite different - so you have to know your audience and who you’re cooking for and then you can kind of take it from there,’ she explains.
'For this spread, I just thought of really nice, delicate, summery flavors. You have to make sure that the flavors really complement each other in a nice way, and that not one dish is so overpowering that the other dishes don’t have a chance,' explains Noor. 'You don’t want an attention-seeker dish but dishes that all want to play together.'
Pan-fried tomatoes with za'atar, pine nuts, and halloumi
'For these pan-fried tomatoes, I want them to soften and take on a bit of color but I don’t want them to completely fall apart,' Noor says. 'Tomatoes are already very sweet, but cooking them in a bit of olive oil and maple syrup really brings that out and it’s just so lovely.' She adds grated halloumi and toasted golden pine nuts cooked with oregano and za'atar. 'I then sprinkle it with extra za’tar because I just love how lovely and herbaceous it is,' Noor adds.
Grilled green beans with lemon and feta
'For this griddled green beans dish I’ve made this lovely dressing with grilled lemon, slow-cooked onion, lemon juice, loads of herbs and maple syrup,' explains Noor.
'Take your time when you plate things and really put love and thought into it. If you have sharing plates it just encourages conversation,' she adds. 'My favorite thing about having people over is the togetherness of it all - enjoying food and relaxing. That's the whole point of hosting isn’t it?'
Sesame beets with charred scallions
'When I’m planning a summer menu, I really think about color,' explains Noor. 'For example these sesame beets with charred scallions are a lovely way to bring happiness to your table.'
She tosses them in a simple dressing of yogurt, tahini, toasted sesame oil and lime juice before topping with the charred scallions, so the bright green contrasts beautifully with the rich pink of the beets.
Ginger nectarines
'This is my ginger nectarine dish – I’ve left it until last so the nectarines don’t spoil. It’s so easy to make that you can just assemble it before serving,' says Noor. She fries off some ginger, mustard seeds and chilli and uses the flavorful frying oil as a base for the dressing before mixing with maple syrup and lime juice.
'My grandfather used to have a house in Lebanon and I spent a lot of my childhood summers there,' Noor shares. 'It has this beautiful fertile land where loads of fruit grows and at the end of a meal they’d always bring out big platters of fresh stone fruits – I remember just eating them with the juice dripping down my chin. That inspired me to do this dish.'
Noor Murad's vibrant summer tablescape
'This look is quite colorful, really vibrant – I want it to scream ‘joy’ in every way, from a bright tablecloth to the colorful cushions. The plates are quite mismatched and neutral because I want the food to be loud.' Noor explains.
She layers her table starting with a bold sunshine yellow tablecloth, adding neutral basics in natural colors and textures, before popping in some statement tortoiseshell flatware, pink and green glassware, and plenty of cheerful garden flowers. Linen napkins and floral woven napkin rings add a finishing touch.
'My favourite colors are sunset colors – not just in the food but you can see it in the flowers, too, ' Noor adds. 'I’ve started bringing something back with me from everywhere I travel. I really love these bud vases... They’re a real statement, and at the end of the day, you can give away the flowers for people to take home, which is such a lovely thing.'
Scroll our gallery of Noor's summery table
Shop Noor's vibrant summer look
Inspired by Mediterranean escapes, this bold stripe linen table cloth screams 'summer'. It comes in ten different colorways so you can choose your favorite shade for summer entertaining.
Weaver Green's collection of cushions and rugs are made entirely from recycled plastic bottles – yes, really – and they come in a gorgeous array of Boho patterns and colors for use indoors and out as they're machine washable and UV resistant.
Combine with real florals to add a flourish to your place settings. We love the leafy green shade combined with the palm leaf material, which works with bright and natural schemes.
Tortoiseshell is a tableware classic and this set has been crafted in France by a heritage cutlery manufacturer. You can choose from 3-7 piece sets and the best bit? It's dishwasher safe.
This beautiful oil pourer is part of a collection of handblown green filigrana pieces and is a unique (each piece is different, due to the hand-crafted nature) and beautiful addition to your kitchen and table.
Made from Abaca – a soft, strong, sustainable and biodegradable natural fiber – these placemats have been handwoven by artisans to add a naturalistic touch to your table settings. They also come with navy or yellow edging if you want to ring the changes.
Hand-formed and embossed with a linen texture and natural speckle glaze, these plates have a wonderfully organic feel that will allow your colorful culinary creations to shine. They come in small, medium and large.
Choose these alphabet napkins in your guests' initials for a lovely, personal touch at your table. They're hand-painted on Italian linen and also come in a range of hues from sky blue to rose pink to mix and match with.
Use these hand-made tumblers, available in 9 different jewel tones, for water, cocktails or even posies of garden flowers to dot around the table. The hand-applied dotty pattern lends an element of fun, too.
Available in pink or green (with jugs, oil pourers and tumblers to match), this pretty bud vase features a spiralling pink stripe design which, because it's handblown, means that no two pieces are exactly alike.
Created from fast-growing wicker by artisans in support of rural communities, this basket is ideal for bread – simply lay a napkin in first – cutlery or even a set of napkins for your guests to help themselves to.
Add a fiesta feel to summer entertaining with these tassel lights. There are three colors in the set and they're solar powered, so if you hang them in a sunny spot by day, you'll get 6-8 hours of light by night.
If you're looking to create your own elegant and relaxed feast, like Noor, you might want to consider a particular garden party theme to start from. You could also take a look at our barbecue recipes for an easy summer menu for friends, or our alfresco lunch menu for a more elevated take on the rustic aesthetic.
