Asked to make starter for 7 people, no oven - help please!

[Blackbird1234]

I've been asked to make a vegetarian starter for 7 people for Christmas day. Where I'm currently staying doesn't have an oven. Doesn't need to be anything fancy.

Any ideas?

@Oddbutnotodd

Vegetarians don’t eat fish!

I would just take a nice loaf of interesting bread and a selection of olives. Agree a starter before a Christmas meal is bizarre. Surely you’re still full from chocolate/ breakfast.

Barbarian!!

Chocolates are for pudding and the whole of the rest of the day

@Waftypants yes that is you, but my BIL and SIL are “vegetarians” who will eat smoked salmon, sardines and tuna

People are different

Tomato and mozzarella

@MarleneDietrichsSmile they are not vegetarians, they are pescatarians then. People using the wrong term doesn’t change the meaning of vegetarian - which means people who don’t eat animal flesh!

This is why MIL serves me fish. Because her other DIL is a fish eating vegetarian. AKA not a vegetarian then…

Apparently I’m “difficult” because I should eat fish, like other vegetarians she knows.

@PartridgeCoop That sounds lush- I love broccoli in a salad.

Mushroom pate, bread or toast and a salad with pomegranate

Why has this challenge been thrust upon you at such short notice?

@RoyalFamilyFan

And the reason orange juice used to be considered a starter is when it first appeared it was made by someone actually squeezing oranges in the kitchen to extract the juice. But then cartons of orange juice became available and every small hotel started offering orange juice as a starter.

Ah, so because it required effort to make?

As a child, I was always puzzled why OJ was ever a starter. It's not food.

OP - how far are you travelling with the starter? I love anything involving cheese, but you have to balance out the food poisoning risk if you're travelling with a pot luck over a long distance.

Burrata with cherry tomatoes and fresh figs, with a bit of balsamic and olive oil drizzled on top. Bread optional! Absolutely delicious.

This thread is hilarious.

packets of sliced smoked salmon, lemons, either good bread or some kind of crackers, good butter.

Put fish on plate; put crackers/bread/butter dish on a board, cut lemons and arrange round the salmon.

All done.

Well, not really done. The vegetarians will come to the table and point out that they don't eat fish.

In the days when a glass of fruit juice was on offer as a starter, I used to be extremely adventurous and choose tomato juice. Still love that now, but not as a starter.

And others will point out that bruschetta needs to be toasted.

Soup

Much as I like mezze stuff, it would feel really weird before Christmas dinner.

Broccoli and Stilton soup

Pre bought soup in a tub- Covent Garden is fine-
Bread rolls

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/clementine-feta-winter-leaf-salad

Soup?

@elfycat

Go retro...

Honeydew melon slice, cut into cubes in place. Cocktail stick with a glace cherry on it stuck into the middle slice.

Does anyone else remember when a glass of orange juice was considered a starter?

Veggie/mushroom pate with slices of naice bread (maybe 2 different kinds, a white baguette and rye bread, or tiger loaf and wholegrain) and a handful of salad leaves - maybe rocket or watercress in the mix. Caramelised onion chutney on the side.

Just came on to suggest go retro!!

Yes, In the 70s the starters were a choice of:
soup (veg or tomato)
Orange juice
Melon

Do you need to transport it from where you are?

Nobody wants a big starter before Christmas dinner anyway, so I’d keep it super light - melon or figs with blue cheese probably.

I’m really craving devilled eggs now.

Does anyone else remember when a glass of orange juice was considered a starter?

My husband's grandma had orange juice for her starter at our wedding because she didn't like any of the starters. She also had the kids main course because she didn't like any of the adult ones (very inoffensive e.g. chicken breast, tomato risotto)

Could do basil, mozzarella and tomato bites with a cocktail stick.

Brie, caramelised onion on a little toast

@Sgtmajormummy

If your vegetarians will eat fish: smoked wild salmon on good brown bread with plenty of salted butter. Assemble it when you get there.

If not: French onion soup. You can make the cheesy croutons in advance so you only need to heat up the soup on the day.

If they easy fish they're not vegetarian...

OP - easier to advise if we know if you have access to hob or grill.

I'm doing brushetta. Tomatoes, garlic and red onion in balsamic vinegar topped with goat's cheese and olives. Maybe a drizzle of honey.

You could buy stuff for a meze platter - hummus, vine leaves, artichoke hearts, olives.

Mushroom pate served with melba toast.

@RoyalFamilyFan

And the reason orange juice used to be considered a starter is when it first appeared it was made by someone actually squeezing oranges in the kitchen to extract the juice. But then cartons of orange juice became available and every small hotel started offering orange juice as a starter.

But before the cartons of orange juice there was some powdered stuff that you added water to. It was vile. It was also very common in B&B's in the 70's.