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?

I'm amazed that anyone wants a starter on Xmas day but as they clearly do, should it not be as light as possible? melon or piece of bruscetta each (thin on the break, heavy on the tomatoes).

Mellon balls with peach and Prosecco puree

Nachos loads of crisps, salsa and cheese, people will love the randomness of it

Do you have to make it from scratch? I’ve bought M&S’s decorate your own Christmas tree pastry for our starter.

@bjjgirl

Nachos loads of crisps, salsa and cheese, people will love the randomness of it

Nope.

Also, no to bought soup. Frankly, I'd rather have nothing.

Some odd posts on here.

@bjjgirl

Nachos loads of crisps, salsa and cheese, people will love the randomness of it

I couldn’t think of anything I’d like to eat less on Christmas Day than a plate of nachos before Christmas dinner

So I have a couple of ideas, maybe a mezze type platter with bakery bread, cheeses, crudités etc. You could do a really nice soup, a lot of butchers near me make a homemade vegetable soup and it's delicious (some fresh supermarket ones are ok too if you don't have a hob, I'm assuming you may have a microwave?) Some excellent soup recipes on BBC Good Food if you do have a hob and want to make it yourself. Otherwise you could maybe look into garlic mushrooms on toast, a cold vegetarian quiche or tart, again check BBC Good Food for vegetarian cold starters, I like that they are all reviewed and they're really easy usually. We usually find in our house (mixed veggies and carnivores) a pick and mix type platter works well with crusty buns and butters.

We're heading for Royle Family Christmas starter now - cup-a-soups all round!

Make festive cocktails to lift everyone’s spirits .
Melon balls/ slices with prosciutto slices .. or smoked salmon/ crème fraîche on pumpernickel bread

@DroopyClematis

Some odd posts on here.

Indeed. Suggestions of charcuterie, salmon and parma ham are peculiar when the OP specified vegetarian in the very first line.

[quote Sgtmajormummy]@Bloodypunkrockers
Some vegetarians will eat wild caught salmon as it has reached the end of its life cycle and is going back upstream to spawn (and die).[/quote]
Still not a vegetarian

@MrsHGWells

Make festive cocktails to lift everyone’s spirits . Melon balls/ slices with prosciutto slices .. or smoked salmon/ crème fraîche on pumpernickel bread

Not vegetarian.

Cocktails a nice idea though - no meat or fish in those.

I would go for asparagus with a home made hollandais sauce. Actually veggie, easy to make on the hob, plates beautifully, light before Xmas and special enough to feel like a treat.
Have a practice of the hollandais before the day if you haven’t made it before.

@wildseas

I would go for asparagus with a home made hollandais sauce. Actually veggie, easy to make on the hob, plates beautifully, light before Xmas and special enough to feel like a treat. Have a practice of the hollandais before the day if you haven’t made it before.

That's a good idea. Have the sauce separately though as I think it's absolutely rank and would not eat something which has it on. I don't think I am the only one. I'd happily eat asparagus with butter though so I'd say go for this and let people add their own sauce.

Still not a vegetarian gringrin

Yes that is funny! They're called pescitarians.

I had no idea how a job impacted a devil's egg starter.
I did stop and wonder. 😂
Thanks for clearing that up @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Small rye cracker or other fancy crackers, on top put slice of goats cheese, drizzle of honey, sprig of rosemary - delicious

Add cheese and pineapple sticks to the retro platter suggestions.

realfood.tesco.com/recipes/tomato-mozzarella-and-pesto-candy-cane.html

Asparagus is way out of season now, flow-in from Peru usually, and therefore tastes of nothing.

If everyone likes it, Holland wise or a devilled butter sauce is lovely on a mix of tender stem and purple sprouting broccoli.

Another 70’s classic is a traditional eggs mayonnaise. Home-made or bought fresh mayo (as opposed to Hellman’s), a halved, still creamy free-range egg, on a round lettuce leaf, with a dusting of paprika. Yum. Add a tomato rose for full retro. Serve with thinly cut whole meal bread and butter.
Cheap, easy, can be prepped day before and 5 mins to plate up.

Hollandaise, not Holland wise!

Wondering if several PP have any idea what charcuterie actually means 🤣🤣🤣

@SummeHoliday

Wondering if several PP have any idea what charcuterie actually means 🤣🤣🤣

I think they either have no idea or its my French MIL posting who thinks vegetarians should make an effort an eat a little meat and all fish.

@SummeHoliday

Wondering if several PP have any idea what charcuterie actually means 🤣🤣🤣

Part from anything else I'd never suggest it as a starter veggie or not. They are for later after meal drinks and nibbles, informal gatherings and non party business meetings imo