Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking alongside a coffee-crusted steak and crispy baked tenders

Shawerma belongs on a vertical spit, shaved off in strips, and a home oven cannot pretend otherwise. So this dish gets the method the oven can actually support: thighs marinated overnight, then baked in one crowded layer so they steam slightly and stay soft instead of drying at the edges. Naan and the garlic yogurt dip go alongside, the way they would at a counter.

The Mediterranean baked grape tomatoes are the one thing here I would not cook out of season. Right now they collapse into their own juice after twenty minutes, and the butter beans and Kalamata olives soak that up while it is still hot. Feta and torn basil go on cold, at the end, or they turn to paste. Same reasoning behind the grape, celery and mixed greens salad this month.

Reheat the chicken tenders at 425°F for 8 minutes on a rack rather than a tray — the underside is where a crust gives up first. The gingered sweet potato, spinach and peanut stew wants 4 minutes in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen it. Kale and cranberry wild rice is good cold, straight from the fridge.