You will be surprised at how little effort it takes to prepare this interesting dinner. It looks like a dinner party, but can just as well be a comfortable family meal.

Each dish is quite simple. A relish plate that includes mint sprigs and green onions is the traditional start of many Middle Eastern meals. You could include other fresh herbs, such as basil, and add multi-colored peppers or other vegetables to make it more elaborate. A fresh yogurt and cucumber dip, flavored with more mint, and warmed pita breads are served at the same time.

The roasted vegetables and couscous are an easy and plain dish, until they are enlightened by a sauce of gently fried spices in a reduction of broth. Then they take on a subtly exotic quality.

Orange slices chilled in a light, sweet syrup are the most refreshing dessert I know, and pure pleasure after anything rich or spicy. And because this meal, while delivering both rich and spicy flavors, is in fact not at all a heavy meal, you might even be tempted to add vanilla ice cream to those orange slices.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH AND GREEN TOMATOES

The tart green tomatoes, picked in November here in California, are the perfect foil for sweet Kabocha squash. If you can't find Kabocha, try Tahitian squash, and if you can't find any of the sweet and flavorful yellow squashes, then try another great recipe, Roasted Yams with Green Tomatoes, which is similar to this -- and yams are easy to find.

1 medium Kabocha squash (about 3 lbs., approx. 5 cups cubed)
2 lbs. green tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs. red onions
1 1/4 lbs. small red-skinned tomatoes
6-8 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Peel the squash, seed it, and cut it in 3/4" cubes. The best method I've found to do this is to cut the squash in half with your biggest, sharpest knife, and scoop out the seeds. Then lay the halves cut-side down and slice them in wide strips. Lay the strips on their sides and cut off the thick, hard rind in pieces, then cube the orange flesh. This method allows you to safely keep the cutting edge of your knife always aimed down toward the board, very important when applying pressure to a tough hide.

Cut the green tomatoes in 1" chunks. Peel the red onions and cut them in thin wedges. Scrub the potatoes and cut them in pieces no larger than the squash pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and slice the larger ones in half lengthwise.

Toss all the vegetables together with the olive oil and salt until they are evenly coated, spread them on two baking sheets and roast them at 400° for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Stir and turn the vegetables a couple times in the course of the cooking time. They should be perfectly tender, with crisped, browned edges here and there.

Serve the vegetables with Couscous with Moroccan Spices.

Serves 8-10.

COUSCOUS WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

for the sauce:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne or red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 cups light vegetable broth
3 small red tomatoes, peeled and puréed
1/3 cup dried currants
1-2 Tbs. fresh lime or lemon juice

for the couscous:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
2 cups couscous

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook the chopped onion and garlic in it until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the ground, toasted cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and paprika. Continue stirring over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the vegetable broth, tomato purée and currants. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice to your taste. If you are not planning to use the sauce immediately and want to reheat it before serving, wait to add the citrus juice at the last minute.

To cook the couscous, heat the broth, water, butter and salt together in a medium skillet until the liquid boils. Reduce to a simmer, add the couscous, cover the skillet tightly and leave it on lowest heat for 5 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for another couple minutes before fluffing the couscous with a fork.

Serve the couscous with roasted vegetables and pass the spicy sauce separately to spoon over it.

Serves 8-10.