What would you make for this lunch?

[judgementfail]

I have friends coming over at the weekend for a 'light lunch'. A couple who we've known for years, easy going and fun and their two children 6 and 3. Both have their mums staying at the moment so they are bringing them too. I've met them once only and they are both fairly glam, with pretty high standards

The plan is for them to come over to look at some art i make at home with a view to buying. We are then going to have lunch in our garden (not UK, it will be pleasant outdoors).

What would you make for such a lunch that's going to easy for me but will please everyone? It needs to be prepared ahead of their arrival and then ready to eat. So either cold or easily reheat able while they are in my studio so it can be whipped out once we are done or even set up on the table ready to sit and eat (the garden dining area is quite far from the house so I can't be flitting back and forth from studio - kitchen- garden). They live close by so it's not like I'm feeding them up for a journey home and it's supposed to be quick and easy for everyone. No dietaries.

I'd usually make a bbq chicken or lamb with a salads and potatoes but that's quite a bit more fancy than I can manage on such a day as it takes a load of prep and I just won't have the time to plan everything.

Pizzas sounds a bit too informal for the glam mums but would be a hit with the kids.

Sandwiches just seems a bit dull!

A cheese board with nice crackers and homemade bread and dips sounds a little too 'light'

I'll be honest I'd prefer to cater to the mums palates over the kids as I know they are likely to have been fed before they get to us and they are those ones who will be buying the art so I have to make them feel I offered something nice! Wine will be of course be available.

I'm usually good at this stuff but I'm totally stumped!

Ideas gratefully received.

I would put out a selection of nice rolls and fillings so everyone can build there own. Serve with a green salad.

Quiche and salads? A homemade one is fiddly but can be done in advance and you could add nice fillings (salmon and broccoli, or nice cheese with caramelised onion etc)

A roast, a couple of chickens and allowed to cool for slicing, jacket pot, potatoes with a salad and some coleslaw. You could do all the prep the day before and just put the chickens and potatoes in the oven in the morning and put the salad together and dress it very quickly after they arrive.

Yikes… typo….not a roast plus chickens…. I meant to say roast a couple of chickens

All exactly the same menu, but instead of the chickens, you could cook a ham the day before ready for slicing.

Coronation chicken
Pasta salad
Coleslaw
Green salad
Decent bread

Only thing you'd need to do on the day would be to dress the green salad - everything else can be made in advance.

A cheese board with nice crackers and homemade bread and dips sounds a little too 'light'

If you add a charcuterie board it should be fine for a light outdoors lunch

Quiche, cold meats and cheeses, crusty bread, selection of salady things so everyone can make themselves a plate of whatever takes their fancy.

Lasagne and salad. Can all be made earlier, all you need to do is serve. With nice breads.

Loving the quiche idea.

I’d do a Spanish frittata with a green salad and a zingy carrot and red cabbage slaw. Maybe a few cooked large prawns on the side with garlic aioli and lemon wedges.

Serve with chilled apple juice topped up with fizzy water.

I'd go with a few grazing boards.

An anti pasti board with meats.
A savoury board with a quiche, some breadsticks, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, etc.
then a simple cheese board with apple & grapes. Shove a Camembert in the oven.

Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread.

My favourite al fresco meal!

Sushi - easy to prepare, can be made ahead and served cold.

Quiche and a shepherd's salad (tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, parsley), a mixed pepper/onion/grape salad and a fresh green salad.

Cheeseboard and pate with fresh baguettes if you want to bulk out/have a plan B.

Something like this would be perfect. Maybe add a local pâté if available?

Moroccan roast lamb - I think a Nigella recipe originally but it’s basically shredded slow cooked lamb shoulder served over a bed of lettuce with crumbled feta, pomegranate and mint.

served with flat bread, humous, tzatsiki, fatoush and tabuouleh ow whatever you fancy.

Very easy can be prepared in advance, sides can be bought in their entirety if preferred and looks spectacular.

Mayo fest! Blergh.

I’d do smoked salmon platter, a quiche and a couple of salads (beetroot, feta and pea shoot) and a green salad with marinated artichokes. Plus some cocktail sausages and cucumber for the kids. And nice bread.
or couscous and roasted vegetables.

I made this cheese & caramelised onion tart, with watercress and walnuts for an event on Saturday and it went down a storm.

A cheese sandwich. With cooked meat. And a hot egg. A crescent of crisps. And a side clump of cress.

How rude!

Pasta salad doesn't have to use mayo. Nor does a green salad. Coronation chicken could be made with yoghurt if necessary. Coleslaw made mainly with vinaigrette with only a small amount of mayo stirred through at the end.

FFS.

Mayo fest! Blergh

Inclined to agree - it’s a bit too 1980s picnic for me.

A savoury crostata - e.g. roasted tomatoes and caramelised onions with feta or mushrooms and leek cooked down with garlic and herbs and baked with Swiss cheese? Serve with salads e.g. bulghur and quinoa and a green salad, maybe roasted veg served at room temperature with a dressing. Crusty bread. Cooked meats.

Totally agree with this and it was my first thought too on seeing your post. You can add other easy extras too like a quiche or pork pie from a local farm shop / bakery, nice pate, baked Camembert etc to bulk it out some more.

I’d do a Niçoise salad with hot smoked salmon, on a big platter like this, so people can choose the parts they like: https://www.saveur.com/salmon-nicoise-salad-with-garlic-herb-dressing-recipe/ It just sits in the fridge until ready to serve - vinaigrette and creme fraiche served separately.

Serve it with a simple cheeseboard (cheddar, brie and Stilton) baguettes and butter. Children can eat any parts that appeal to them - worst case scenario they have a bit of buttered bread and cheddar.

Vinaigrette, bread and cheese could be ready outside (under cover) and you just carry out the salad and a bottle of wine.