I challenge you to think of a starter

[MumofSpud]

Of course we don't NEED a starter - 4 people all with fussy different tastes and I can't think of the same starter that they could all have:
3 adults and 1 teen
NO
Cheese
Red meat
Vegetables (peas and carrots are ok)
Spice
Indian / Chinese / Italian
Garlic

All I can think of is a retro vol-au-vent with chicken tinned cream of chicken soup
Or bruschetta with ? on it?

Any ideas?

Prawn cocktail?

Prawn cocktail, melon & Parma ham, breads and dipping oils/butters

Chicken liver pate?

Ooops - forgot
NO fish (any kind)
NO melon

Prawn cocktail (the veg dodgers can treat the lettuce as a decoration)

Coquilles St Jaques

Mackerel pate on melba toast

Lots of other fishy starters would also fit the bill.

Soup?

Carrot soup

Seafood platter - bed of lettuce, prawns, smoked salmon, crab sticks, Marie Rose sauce at the side and brown bread and butter.

So far chicken pate could be a contender
I didn't think of soup!

Bruschetta with a crushed pea and mint topping.

Could you do a variety of bits? Some nice ham / stuffed peppers / bread etc and then people can just have what they want?

I was trying to think of a suitable soup.

Carrot would be perfect surely. Would anyone eat parsnip soup? You could have 2 choices.

Carrot soup. French onion soup (or does that count as vegetables?). Warm humus with olives, pine nuts etc on top served with nice bread.

Chicken Terrine, chicken spears with a selection of dips. Mini quiches

Tell them to go somewhere else and treat yourself to a nice meal out. X

Showing my age here... a glass of pure orange juice. Or egg mayonnaise...

Soup. A terrible starter IMO, but ticks all your boxes. French Onion soup would be the exception to my 'terrible starter' catch all, but if they don't like veg, then I'm guessing that's not an option. It needs cheese on top really.

Or pate, but if the people you're catering for are fussy enough not to like any Italian/Indian/Chinese (ie - all very mainstream things), then they probably aren't big pate eaters.

Are tomatoes acceptable? There are probably a few things you could do with them.

Eggs? Old fashioned devilled eggs?!

Sharing board with Parma ham, salami, burrata, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts (from a jar), and a few rocket leaves for decoration. With crusty baguette.

Pringles

Oeufs en cocotte?

I've wanted to try this pea and mint filo tart for ages, maybe you could do smaller filo tartlets? annajones.co.uk/recipe/pea-mint-and-preserved-lemon-filo-tart

God that list of NOs would drive me up the wall though. NO fish nearly sent me over the edge just reading it.

Do you need a starter? I never bother at home, as I always think it's a bit fussy and restaurant-y to sit down to three courses.

I do a selection of substantial nibbles or canapés to have with pre-dinner drinks instead, so that it's all a bit more relaxed (less washing up too). You could have pâté on crackers or crostini, devilled eggs, crudités, nuts, olives, manchego cheese with quince paste etc.

I mean really. In our house NO cheese and NO spices would mean NO getting cooked for.

Chicken or pork (or chicken and pork) terrine, make it a bit special by including some duck or game. Can be prepared in advance, only needs a little bit of tarting up on the plate to look fancy. A small slice won't spoil appetites for the main course.

Individual servings of fuck off would be my choice in this scenario…

Otherwise I like the pea bruschetta idea – lots of local cafes to me are offering this instead of avocado toast, for sustainability.

Or French carrots: just grated with a little vinaigrette – very Brasserie Zedel.

😂