What do you normally put out for a buffet?

[OrchidLass]

Having a few friends round in a few weeks for a garden do. I want to put a buffet out but I tend to go a bit over the top and put too much food out and end up with loads left over. What are your 'must haves' for a buffet?

I planned a tomato salad, a pasta salad, charcuterie/cheese board with crackers/fruit etc. Some bread, pate, olives and marinated king prawns.

Not sure about pudding, any ideas for that too please?

It's not a huge event, probably only about 15 of us but I would appreciate some tips please, it feels like forever since I've done any kind of entertaining!

Quiche, orzo and toasted tomato salad, a tabbouleh, curried eggs or cauliflower coronation style, bread, cheese, samosas and weirdly sushi (kids).

Pudding is always a platter of chocolate. I buy sharing bags and tip them out onto the platter. Sometimes I add a box of milk tray, some decent dark chocolate broken into chunks.

Oh and I've literally just had a message to say that one of the guests has just been diagnosed with coeliacs. That kind of changes things! Would it be safest to make everything gluten-free do you think? I'd be a bit worried about cross contamination.

That's very good of you to recognise the risk of cross contamination. I would imagine it would be difficult to prepare meals without cross contamination in the sane kitchen at the same time however sure if you did it separately with good hygiene and stored and served separately it'd be okay?

What you'd planned sounds lovely and can all be done gluten free, which is probably safest. GF pasta is amazing these days as are crackers. The only thing that's not so good is GF bread (IMO) apart from 'Schlar' ones which have a better texture, and have part-baked ciabatta rolls which might be a good bet.

It is really amazing to do the whole thing GF. I often expect not to be able to eat much as it's so risky, so to know everything was GF would be brilliant!

@OrchidLass

Oh and I've literally just had a message to say that one of the guests has just been diagnosed with coeliacs. That kind of changes things! Would it be safest to make everything gluten-free do you think? I'd be a bit worried about cross contamination.

I have a coeliac BiL, and he appreciates that it is virtually impossible to avoid cross-contamination in a domestic kitchen, but to mitigate the risk as much as possible, we do the following:

1. Make sure all the implements you're going to be using are out-of-the-dishwasher (or just washed) clean, including surfaces.
2. Prepare anything they're going to be eating first
3. Clearly delineate, i.e. put their food at the very opposite end of the table and make sure plates etc aren't touching
4. Don't let the non-coeliacs eat the coeliac's food! I have seen this happen at events and (as a vegetarian myself, whose food choices are limited) it's really unfair!

I think I'd rather everything was GF then she won't feel 'singled out' if you know what I mean?

Good advice above re cross contamination. Honestly, I'd do everything you suggested in your first post, but with GF pasta and crackers. I have no gluten in my house, but at my in-laws, they would do something like leave the "real" bread on a different table / on the side, so it's away and doesn't get mixed up. GF stuff is generally great, but the bread is still a bit naff if you're having it with cheese etc! I wouldn't expect people to miss that on my behalf.

Check jars and sauces allergen labels.
I often bring my own butter / mayo to places, which avoids crumbs issues.
Check no meats have added wheat, or a wheat crumb.

For dessert, something like an Eton mess would be perfect. Or something chocolate-y and gooey. Chocolate desserts work quite well GF as they can be dense and it just makes them better! Anything made with ground almonds is also usually delicious.

You're a thoughtful friend