Garden party - what to serve?
I am anxious for nicer weather so I can throw a garden party for my girlfriends! I thought it would be fun to do tea type food. Any suggestions? I have a recipe for cucumber sandwiches but I would love some more light sandwiches and a fun non-alcoholic drink.
RE: Garden party - what to serve?
Pear cider(non alcoholic)
A nice spring mix salad with vegies
smoked salmon (if you like fish :)
some sort of fruit tart?
RE: Garden party - what to serve?
I LOVE Garden parties and I love throwing parties.
Here are some ideas:
1) Pimento, chicken salad, or egg salad sandwiches. Also fresh mozzarella w/tomato slice and basil and a little bit of olive oil and sea salt. Or Bruchetta.
2) Shortbread cookies
3) A fruit salad, or fruit kabobs, or slices of fruit w/the caramel dip you get in the fruit section in the grocery store.
4) strawberries and cream
5) Assortment of cheeses
6) Quiche (Any type)
7) Hibiscus tea w/Lemon slices for the non-alcoholic drink or a Lemonade w/Strawberries.
8) Chocolate
Think colorful since it's a garden party. I would buy some terracotta pots to put the flatware or some of the food. It goes w/the theme.
Have fun!
RE: Garden party - what to serve?
vegetable crudite platter
tea sandwiches ... cucumber and whipped cream cheese, tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, smoked salmon and cream cheese, tomato and watercress
scones served with strawberry preserves and devonshire cream
assorted sweets... petit fours, truffles etc.
You could always start with a baby mixed greens salad... with teardrop tomatoes and cucumber slices... with a nice balsamic vinegrette.
Here... check out this website. This tea room is very close to me... I had my bridal shower there and it is SOOOO yummy!
http://www.paddingtonstearoom.com/default.asp
Ahhh looking at that makes me think of my Dad who just passed away at the beginning of the year. Maybe my sister and I will have to make a date to go have High Tea together!!!
Hope this helps you!
~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01 and Aidan 5/4/05
RE: Garden party - what to serve?
Most of my favorites have been mentioned already :)
For chicken salad, I love it w/ fresh chopped tarragon, grapes, etc. added to it. Yum.
You can cut sandwiches w/ a cookie cutter into shapes too.
Along the same lines as other things that have been mentioned, but tiny, bite sized desserts of any kind are great! Petit fours, cookies, pound cake, quickbreads, scones. Fresh fruit salad.
If you are feeling ambitious or like to cook you can do something like a carrot ginger soup.
An easy appetizer we do for different things, and is fitting for tea w/ the ladies is to take a cucumber, slice it (can drag a fork down the outer skin lengthwise all around the perimeter, which when you slice it will then make it look pretty :) ) , and top w/ a little whipped cream cheese, a tiny bit of smoked salmon, and a sprig of fresh dill. Super easy but cute and yummy.