This is the easiest 3-course dinner party you'll ever throw

A few things to consider when planning a November dinner party: It's important to celebrate fall produce and the change in weather. It's time for all manner of warming, homey fare. But also: The month signals the start of "the holiday season" and all its various temptations.

The approach here emphasizes simplicity, bright flavors and lightness: ginger-spiced carrot soup to open the meal; bay leaf-lemon fish fillets roasted in a hot oven; and a sweet salad of navel orange and pomegranate. It's an easy meal to produce, but it's also totally possible to accessorize with heartier fare for a more deluxe meal.

For a first course, let's proceed with the theory that everyone likes soup and that some soups are better than others. Soup isn't difficult, but success is in the details. When preparing a puréed vegetable soup, keep a few tips in mind.

Build flavor as you go, layering onion, spices and your vegetable of choice. And make sure the broth in which the vegetables simmer is well seasoned from the start, and cook them until soft, but not mushy. You don't want the all-too-familiar stodgy, too-thick purée, bland as baby food. The ideal consistency (for me) is one similar to that of a thin milkshake or heavy cream.

If the soup is not to be served immediately, cool after puréeing, and reheat it just before serving — it will taste fresher.

You might think of squash for an autumn soup, but I chose carrots, stewed with ginger and jalapeño and finished with a spoonful of zingy ginger-chive cream. Feel free to try it with kabocha or butternut squash.

For a main course, this easy fish dish features a mix of flavors born to be together, enjoyed in many Middle Eastern dishes — cumin, lemon and bay laurel, so fragrant and satisfying.

Use any firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as halibut, snapper or rockfish. The fish can be roasted, uncovered, in a hot oven or a covered grill, or broiled. The lemon and bay get slightly charred, and their perfume immediately infuses the fish in a beautiful way.

I like to serve this fish with little boiled potatoes, drizzling extra-virgin olive oil over everything. If you wish for something fancier, pair it with spinach rice, or serve with quickly wilted spinach or chard.

For dessert, a simple fruit salad is always welcome, refreshing and palate-cleansing.

Citrus season has begun, with juicy navel oranges, ready to be peeled and sliced. Arrange the slices on a platter, sprinkle with orange blossom water and dust with sugar. Scattered with ruby pomegranate arils and chopped pistachio, it's a sight to behold.

Want to doll it up? Surround the platter with medjool dates or honey dates and serve with almond or walnut cookies.

Serves 4 to 6.

You might think of squash for an autumn soup, but this bright soup of carrots, stewed with ginger and jalapeño and finished with a good squeeze of lime and a handful of chopped cilantro, is an example of how not to make the all-too familiar stodgy too-thick purée. Feel free to try it with kabocha or butternut squash. If not serving immediately, cool after puréeing, and reheat just before serving. From David Tanis, New York Times.

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 c.)

• 6 cloves garlic

• Salt and pepper

• 2 lb. carrots, preferably young, peeled and sliced 1/4-in. thick (about 4 c.)

• 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and sliced

• 1 (2-in.) piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, plus 1 tsp. finely grated fresh

• 6 c. chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed

• 1/2 c. crème fraîche or sour cream

• 1 tbsp. very finely sliced chives

• 1 small bunch cilantro

• 1 tsp. lime zest

• 1 tbsp. lime juice

Directions

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion and garlic have softened, about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture brown.

Add carrots, jalapeño and sliced ginger, and stir to coat. Add a little more salt. Turn heat to high, add 6 cups broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until carrots are completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature, if possible.

While soup cools, make the ginger-chive cream: Combine the crème fraîche, grated ginger and chives with a pinch of salt in a small bowl.

When cool, transfer the soup to a blender (in batches, if necessary) and purée. Taste and adjust salt, and add as much additional broth as necessary to achieve the consistency of heavy cream; the soup should not be thick.

To serve, reheat soup over low heat. Check for seasoning and adjust. Roughly chop leaves and tender stems of cilantro, leaving aside a few sprigs for garnish. Stir lime juice and zest and 1 cup chopped cilantro into the soup. There should be little green flecks throughout the soup (cooling the soup first keeps cilantro fresher tasting). Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of the ginger-chive cream and a few stems of cilantro.

Serves 4.

For a main course, this easy fish dish features flavors enjoyed in many Middle Eastern dishes and meant to be together — cumin, lemon and bay. Use any firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as halibut, snapper or rockfish. (Using small whole fish like branzino is another possibility.) The fish can be roasted, uncovered, in a hot oven, beneath the broiler or in a covered grill. From David Tanis, New York Times.

• 1 1/2 lb. boneless halibut or other firm, skinless white fish, cut into 4 equal pieces

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tsp. ground cumin, preferably from lightly toasted seeds

• 16 large bay leaves, fresh or dried

• 2 lemons, cut crosswise into thin rounds (about 16 slices total)

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Good pinch of Maras pepper, Korean gochujang or other red-pepper flakes

Directions

Lay fish fillets on a rimmed baking sheet or a shallow baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the fillets with half the cumin and rub it into the flesh. Place 2 bay leaves and 2 slices lemon on top of each piece. Flip and repeat seasoning with salt, pepper and remaining cumin. Top each with 2 more bay leaves and lemon slices on the other side. Drizzle each piece generously with olive oil. Set aside to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange oven rack on top shelf. Heat oven to 425 degrees. When it reaches temperature, slide baking sheet onto top shelf. Bake, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, until fish flakes easily. (Alternatively, grill fish, covered, or cook uncovered under the broiler.) Transfer fish to individual plates and drizzle with any remaining oil in the pan. Lemon and bay leaf may look slightly charred. Sprinkle with a small amount of red-pepper flakes.

Serves 4 to 6.

For dessert, a simple fruit salad like this one after a meal is always welcome, refreshing and palate-cleansing. The only real challenge is peeling the oranges with a sharp knife, leaving them spherical and ready to cut into thin slices. Want to doll it up? Surround the platter with medjool dates or honey dates and serve with almond or walnut cookies. If you can't find orange flower water, you can substitute equal amounts of orange liqueur or orange extract. From David Tanis.

• 4 large navel oranges

• 1/4 c. pomegranate arils

• 1 tbsp. orange flower water

• Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

• 2 tsp. chopped pistachios, optional

Directions

Using a sharp knife, carefully peel the oranges so they are naked and spherical. To do so, cut a thin slice from the bottom of the orange so it can rest flat on a cutting board. Remove peel in wide strips, starting at the top.

Slice oranges crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Arrange overlapping slices on a platter or individual plates. Top with pomegranate arils. Sprinkle the orange flower water over everything. Wrap and chill for an hour if possible or keep in a cool spot. Just before serving, dust oranges with a small amount of powdered sugar and pistachios, if using.