A vibrant mix of Vietnamese, Levantine, and North Indian flavors, featuring a signature chickpea curry

Chana masala is the anchor of the vegetarian night and it is made the traditional way, with the onion cooked far past the point where it looks done. That is thirty minutes of patience before a single spice goes in, and it is the difference between a curry that tastes built and one that tastes assembled. The chickpeas simmer in it long enough to take on the sauce rather than sit in it. Naan travels separately so it can be warmed dry, and the mid-east chickpeas salad gives the same plate something cold and sharp to sit against.

Late June is when the corn is worth building a dish around, so the charred corn, zucchini and arugula is on the list this week and will not be in October. The corn goes on dry heat until parts of it blacken, then comes off while the kernels still have snap. Beets are the other market buy here, roasted whole in their skins and peeled after, which keeps the colour that deep. The pistachio dukkah on top of them gets toasted and crushed the same morning.

Timings, in the order I would eat them across the week in Houston, TX 77008. The halibut with roasted tomatoes and capers goes first, warmed 7 minutes at 350°F covered, and never twice. The zucchini turkey fritters want 9 minutes at 400°F on a rack so the undersides crisp again, with the yogurt sauce added cold. Chana masala and the butternut squash and kale orzo both improve by day three and reheat happily on the stove with a splash of water. The flank steak I would leave cold and slice over the mid-east chickpeas salad.