Bright and casual summer tables call for dips, and today I’m showcasing two really simple options with Mediterranean heart and soul. These are designed for quiet moments, perhaps an evening in the garden, camped on the couch or even packed up for a picnic lunch on the go. Often, I’ll put a bowl like this together to whet the appetite before dinner. By the time I’m scraping the last remnants from the bowl, the main course becomes surplus to requirements. We are focusing on hummus and ricotta, two staple ingredients from the Med. Both lend themselves to heavy seasoning and have played a part in the region’s food culture for centuries. Hummus has been traced back to the 13th century. where it was probably a valuable starchy condiment used to help feed the masses. It’s essentially a chickpea puree, where the chickpeas are blended together and emulsified with seasoning, oil and a variety of flavours. You’ll see lots of options available to buy in the supermarket but none will rival what you can make at home. I’ve blended mine with some tahini, garlic and lemon juice although feel free to add whichever pastes or spices take your fancy at this point. Some leftover sourdough is turned into crispy crostini, with marinated vegetables as the garnish. I’ve added a very handy recipe for the vegetables below. They get grilled and lightly pickled, and they can then be served immediately or kept in jars for a few weeks. This is a great way of avoiding waste in your fridge and it also adds some intrigue to the likes of a courgette which, let’s face it, only rarely gets anybody’s heart rate going.Mark Moriarty's home-made hummus with grilled vegetables, olives and crostini. Photograph: Harry Weir The second dish is a simple whipped ricotta. An Italian speciality, ricotta is the secondary product of cheese production. The protein solids from the leftover whey were traditionally packed together to create the low-fat, protein-dense cheese that we know and love today. Nowadays it’s made intentionally without having to make the mozzarella and Parmesan first. Due to the lack of fat to bend it together, it needs to be whisked or whipped with seasoning to improve the texture and flavours. Here, I’ve served it simple with some Italian staples and a hint of the Middle East. Toasted pine nuts are a delicious garnish for almost anything, and pesto is as standard as it gets. I’ve jazzed it up with some salted preserved lemon, an intense ingredient that needs care. It works wonderfully here and, when mixed together with the lightened ricotta, pesto and nuts, will transport you to the Italian sun. Recipe: Home-made hummus with grilled vegetables, olives and crostiniRecipe: Whipped ricotta with hot honey, pine nuts, and preserved lemon pesto