Smart menu for over seas guests in hot weather

Floozie

I agree with quiches and new potato salad and a cold roasted ham which you can serve in many ways. Deserts could include a trifle or eton mess. Scones with jam and cream are very british and lovely seved with a cup of tea in a garden on an English summer afternoon or how about shortbread.

juliettet

Coronation chicken, Scottish salmon?

Idiophreak

Are we assuming that people will be a bit...squeamish about whole fish?

Rainbow trout, new potatoes, salad, slice of lemon - summertime heaven and whole fish always seem like a treat to me...

Slightly easier option would be smoked mackerel...hard boil some eggs, nice big bowl of salad, new potatoes, salad cream...

Oh man, I'm so hungry now

littlegreenparrot

I've just discovered a beautiful way to cook asparigus (sp?), which would be lovely with fish, or a cold ham and new potatoes.
It's lovely and summery, although might be a bit late for the season.

(Thanks to Nigel slater in the paper!) Trim your asparigus, put into tinfoil, a large enough piece to make a parcel. A tbsp of olive oil, juice of half a lemon. Seal parcel so it can steam. Oven on 200 for 25 mins.
It's delicious, looks really impressive, and is very easy :j
I put thinly sliced carrots in last time as well. yum.

sonastin

On the subject of cliched thematic menu planning, I went to a friend's wedding in Mexico a couple of years ago. The other Europeans were mad keen for "real authentic mexican food" so the mother of the bride ended up spending the night before her daughters wedding preparing tamales and various other traditional mexican dishes. Then the brides brother came home with a dominos pizza. To me, the "real authentic mexican food" is the food real authentic mexicans eat at home in mexico - i.e. the pizza would have done it for me!

Every country puts its own spin on another country's cuisine to suit it's own palate. Whatever you serve will be typically British and will taste different to how it would if they ordered the same dish back home. Cook something you're comfortable cooking and you/they will enjoy in this weather. Don't stress about whether it fits the cliche - particularly if you're not the only one feeding them during their visit.

If they're from the southern states, I bet they'd be genuinely amused by our interpretation of a "barbeque"!

bargainbetty

Just a small point, but perhaps the option of quiches/tarts whatever should include a fish and a veggie option? I'm slightly allergic to some seafood, and tend to stick to the veggie option to avoid cross-contamination as far as possible.

stepon250

I like the jubilee chicken idea ... although the rainbow trout would be tempting too.

lostinrates

sonastin wrote: »

On the subject of cliched thematic menu planning, I went to a friend's wedding in Mexico a couple of years ago. The other Europeans were mad keen for "real authentic mexican food" so the mother of the bride ended up spending the night before her daughters wedding preparing tamales and various other traditional mexican dishes. Then the brides brother came home with a dominos pizza. To me, the "real authentic mexican food" is the food real authentic mexicans eat at home in mexico - i.e. the pizza would have done it for me!

Every country puts its own spin on another country's cuisine to suit it's own palate. Whatever you serve will be typically British and will taste different to how it would if they ordered the same dish back home. Cook something you're comfortable cooking and you/they will enjoy in this weather. Don't stress about whether it fits the cliche - particularly if you're not the only one feeding them during their visit.

If they're from the southern states, I bet they'd be genuinely amused by our interpretation of a "barbeque"!

DH and I are mongrels, we are both from all over. I've spent a bit of childhood not so far from where they are from, but not near either iykwim. Well enough to have an idea of what they might expect.

And thinking about it our table should reflect us, you are right. A mongrel's table with tastiest morsels that go well together.

lostinrates

Idiophreak wrote: »

Are we assuming that people will be a bit...squeamish about whole fish?

Rainbow trout, new potatoes, salad, slice of lemon - summertime heaven and whole fish always seem like a treat to me...

Slightly easier option would be smoked mackerel...hard boil some eggs, nice big bowl of salad, new potatoes, salad cream...

Oh man, I'm so hungry now

I don't expect them to be too squeamish. However I don't think its necessarily child friendly. . While I am of the ' eat up' school of auntyhood, and my friends kids and I tend to get on well, I don't necessarily like to make NO effort to meet them half way, especially at first. While I will not be rushing outta buy visiting kids chicken nuggets or McDonald's, I have in the past made from scratch chicken gluons with kids I am taking care of , and burgers. . As its a 'semi formal' situation and the wife is I understand somewhat 'nervous' about the move, I think having some stuff about that's healthy ( in case she is an earth momma) and but not too scary (in case she's a macdonald's mom) is worth considering too. Lots of nice crudite, freshly baked bread, and we have lovely berries to pick with babies ATM. So we can pick, wash together and then munch.

I will of course be checking allergies before running out for the last minute shopping in any case.

lostinrates

maman wrote: »

If you want an Italian themed course you could do worse than pop to Aldi and get a load of antipasti: meats, peppers, cherry toms, olives......Their Prosecco's good too.

When I want a lazy starter they do lovely individual smoked salmon terrine things (stuffed with crab IIRC) in M&S. Easy with a few leaves and a bit of dressing and they come with a chilli sauce.

I'm not shy about the cooking, infact I'd rather. It's a bit of a comfort blanket for me, I'm 'not bad' in the kitchen and I like to take a time out every now and then in the kitchen anyway:o. So cooking from scratch suits me in all ways.

I am quite game about fairly complicated dishes. .

we have a 'secret prosciutto supplier':D so after a final check I'll get DH to drop in and see him on Friday and lug home the end of a leg to be sliced at home