Is this enough food for a lunchtime spread?

[glitterpaperchain]

Hosting a family garden party in a month. There will be 9 adults, a 4 year old and two 3 year olds. Arriving at 11, staying at least a few hours. Plan is to just cover the kitchen table in food buffet style. 3 adults (including myself) are vegetarian. Plan is:

2 large quiches (one meat one veg)
Pasta salad with roasted veg + pesto
Potato salad
Sausage rolls
Lots of french bread and rolls
Range of cheeses
Range of sliced deli meats
Cooked chicken slices
Caprese salad
Crackers
Crisps and dips
Tomato, cucumber, pepper sticks etc.

Abundance of these ie the potato salad will be a big one, I am overweight and like a good portion so trust me when I say a large portion (anyone remember a similar recent thread? 😅)

Not sure on puddings yet, probably a fruit salad, biscuits and the birthday cake. Cake has not been planned so cannot give specific dimensions on size or volume of cake.

Is this enough? What else would you suggest?

We have different ideas then about going ‘all out’. To me this seems like I just threw things together, anything and everything to make it look a lot.

Are you the same poster as last time. What is it with the under catering going on. And the fascination of two quiches to feed nine adults and hoping everyone will fill up with bread.

Generally when you’re hosting you provide more than you would do for a normal lunch for yourself this is far from going all out, it’s have a small slice of quiche and fill up on the sides please.

a cheese or chicken sandwich isn’t a side in my book - quite absurd!

Fill up with bread and leave all the chicken and cheese and sausage rolls behind ? Why wouldn’t you eat the food available ? Are you so spoilt that you only eat certain things ?

I would advise you to sack the fruit salad if I’m honest because whenever I’ve made one it hardly gets touched when there’s real pud on offer. I normally do some Strawbs, melon, grapes, and maybe something else and keep them separate and I’ve found for some reason this goes down better than a fruit salad? No real idea why.

Oh nooooo! Quick someone call 999!

I'd do whole fruit rather than chopped, then it can be saved

whereas a fruit salad gets devoured if we serve one - which just shows that the norms of different groups are different

@WeatherOrNothing

so what would you do?

@Thebigonesgetaway i agree. OP, what about a joint of pork or beef?

Spend hours sourcing those unique ingredients , having your salt imported from uzbecistan , and following recipes that help you to build a sand oven to bake your goods, which are served fresh baked on golden platters with sides harvested from your own garden of course

each person would have their own table because otherwise there would be food shortage

Doesn't read the OP, suggests using AI 😅

Ooh get some pate! I love pate but I never really buy it for myself as I am the only one who eats it, so I would be delighted to attend and see it there!

What is it with people not reading the OP?

Threads like this really confuse me. A cold buffet is completely normal for lunch, but so many posters seem completely thrown. I do not want to eat another vat of bland chili

I think it's fine OP, but I would probably do an extra quiche. I wouldn't add on extras as then you still end up with a tiny amount each, I think it's better to ensure a decent slice of quiche each than a slither of quiche and a slither of pizza. Having said that maybe a second type of veg salad

My quiche dishes are about 28cm wide and very deep so everyone will get a hefty bit!

I'd only eat the bread, cheese and crackers from here but appreciate I'm fussy.

Agree with pp there's a lack of hot food.

One thing that annoys me is when there's a lot of things made up with dressings and sauces etc already in them (did I mention I'm fussy?)
So for me, I love pasta, hot pasta, but it's got salad added in and other things.

The cheese and meats are all cold.

I do like a caprese salad but will you put a dressing on or just olive oil?

I wouldn't touch the potato salad because it will be mixed.

Could you add some hot foods? Pizzas are a good idea.

If there was more hot food that'd be ideal. In absence of that I'd look for some dishes where they are a bit plainer with the dressing separate. I appreciate most adults aren't as fussy as me but kids are.

Jacket potatoes?

Chips?

Fajita wraps so people can mix some of the dishes and make a wrap?

Fish fingers?

I would greatly dislike all of that for a summer lunch.

Do people really eat hot food for lunch as a norm?
even those in offices ?
do you have hot breakfasts and dinners too?
why is hot better ?

Of course. Have you not heard of BBQ's?
As soon as there's a ray of sunshine British people run for the grills!

BBQ is usually tea time round these parts. Takes the men that long to get organised and it’s FIRE so they have to be allowed to play

not saying you can’t have a hot meal - more that most lunches are not hot so why is it so important that OP should make hot ?

I think barbecues happen throughout the day.

Regardless, people still eat hot food in hot weather. You only need to look at McDonald's being packed on a sunny weekend.

You go abroad and there's tons of hot food offerings. People don't just eat cold food because it's hot outside. Drinks, yes. Food, no.

For me it's not that there should be an abundance of hot food but OP has no hot food.

I but I don’t see why a meal has to have hot food. Why?

i eat cold food winter and summer
and hot food summer and winter

but a meal is still a meal even if it’s cold
and the filling capability of a meal is not affected by it’s temperature
and lots of nice stuff is cold
and being served a cold lunch like
OP has laid on would be lovely

Yes I don't really understand the obsession with hot food. Salads and sandwiches are perfectly normal things to eat. It's a buffet designed to be eaten outside standing up.