Catering for vegetarians at a house-warming party, do I need to provide separate food?

[IslandCanary]

Everyone is bringing a dish, so far most of these contain meat/fish (apart from the salad) as we're doing tapas-style.

One couple have just told me they are vegetarian.

Do I need to ask everyone to bring vegetarian dishes instead? Or is it ok to just provide some salad/rice and let them bring a dish they can eat? I don't want them to feel excluded.

I find most vegetarian food bland and unpleasant and would rather have meat/fish dishes to cater for the majority (I'm planning to make spicy chicken wings, someone else is bringing meatballs, another is bringing battered tempura prawns, crispy squid, vegetable risotto etc.

If I need to provide more veggie options does anyone have any ideas?

I think tapas really lends itself to tasty veggie options.

Tortilla. Patatas bravas. Stuffed peppers (with cheese in the filling perhaps?) The tomatoey bread you get everywhere in Barcelona. Fried padron peppers.

Slightly less authentically, I make an onion tart which is caramelised onions (cook the onions in advance - red onions are especially tasty) spread over a sheet of puffy pastry with cheese (anything that melts well will work) and thyme leaves. Always goes down very well with veggies and meat eaters alike.

No meat, fish or animal products counts as severely restricted in my book.

Well first of all it isn't no meat, fish or animal products. Being vegetarian just means no meat or fish, milk and eggs are fine.

Anyway, it would never be an issue at mine or my familys house, since we cook enough food to feed 5 times the number of people coming usually, and not only would there be enough for omnivores, vegetarians, vegans and gluten free people, you would go home stuffed full and with a packet of leftover pressed into your hands as well!

The way some veggies are going on in thread it's as if they have no choice in the matter. If you choose not to eat a type of food surely you can see that others who have chosen to eat it will have more choice at buffets.

That being said in the ops position I would provide a couple of dishes that didn't contain meat. The meat-eaters would be welcome to eat them as well as the veggies though.

I suspect it's a use of language issue then smarter. A "severely restricted diet" implies there are very few foods someone is able to eat. Being vegetarian does not fall into this category. Having an allergy to eggs or nuts might.

I wouldn't let you, I would insist on it. Simple manners
Thanks

But if you extrapolate.....

But if standing at a full buffet table with all kinds of food, I would take a little bit of whatever I wanted, I wouldn't refuse anything meat free in case a vegetarian might want it later
This action is the opposite.

If every meat eater thinks they are only having a little bit, it will reach a point where a veggie has nothing to eat.

Although agree with cooking enough for 500.

No, its not the opposite at all. You seem to be saying that I shouldn't have a little bit of the vegetarian food in case someone else might need it later? So you are saying that meat eaters should not touch the non meat food....which you said you were not saying!

I am confused.

Lelania I don't think I do have a choice. I find the idea of eating dead animals to be wrong. Once I realised that as a teenager there was no choice about it.

'That being said in the ops position I would provide a couple of dishes that didn't contain meat. '

Then I hope you wouldn't be upset or offended if I unpacked my picnic and topped up with desserts from your magnificent spread?
A couple of vegetarian dishes divided between everyone there would probably mean teeny tiny portions, and I like to eat well. I don't really mind if you don't want to cater for me, just give me a heads up before I come.

Lel, it's not about having less choice, I am very happy to be catered for at all. What is annoying is that by the time you get to the buffet the meat eaters, who can eat anything there, have already taken all the vegi food.

Smarter, it sounds as if your idea of catering for a party is like mine, go way over the top so that nothing runs out.

What do you expect the average meat eater to eat MaidofStars? Someone has just shown a balanced plate of food. That's roughly what I'd choose, meaning I'd have more non-meat items on my plate than meat. Sometimes I might not have any meat at all.

I'd find it weird to have a plate of chicken wings and nothing else and find it even more strange for someone to expect me to eat that and be happy with their catering arrangements.

I think a lot of meat eaters don't understand: it's not a matter of going to a buffet and having two things left you can eat - it's a matter of having NOTHING at all that is edible to you and going completely hungry. And it happens all the time, because despite the abundant evidence in this thread that meat-eaters like veggie food too, caterers (amateur and professional) often simply don't provide enough non-meat foods.

I've had it happen at weddings with buffets, which is a singularly miserable experience, particularly given that you've been waiting around for absolutely hours and you're starving. At one, I actually ordered a pizza.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your English, smarter.

You express yourself very well on here.

I think it's a lack of understanding of (a) what constitutes a food group and (b) what you prefer to eat compared with what others prefer to eat.

Cutting out animal products is veganism not vegetarianism. Vegetarians eat cheese, honey, eggs (well if ovo lactose veggie) etc which are all animal products surely?

What is annoying is that by the time you get to the buffet the meat eaters, who can eat anything there, have already taken all the vegi food

That is the fault of the caterer then, not the people eating the food. It's not vegi food as in food for vegetarian people. It's just food, for all people. Then there is other food (meaty fishy food) that you've chosen not to eat. But thats no reason the people who eat all food shouldn't choose from all the food.

There needs to be enough food for everyone. If there is not enough of the food you have chosen to eat, that is not the fault of the people who have also chosen to eat that!

(I fear I amgetting less clear rather than more!)

There was no main course for vegetarians at my best friend's wedding. At that point (20 years ago) I had been vegetarian for 15 years.

I've never eaten so much rice in one sitting in my life

Yep, fault of the caterer - and the host. It's pretty inhospitable!

As vegetarians, we surely WANT to encourage others to consume less meat? And if delicious quiches and salads can persuade someone that they can do, say, meat-free Mondays, that's a good thing, right.

Suburban, it seemed like the OP was suggesting "everyone was bringing a dish" to share.
Obviously the vegetarians would not share the meat dishes, so the meat eaters need to bring less than they otherwise would.
The vegetarians, however. Well, they could bring just enough for themselves.
But I'm vegetarian and I would not do that, I'd bring enough to share and not partake of the meat dishes.
It might be unfair, but this is friends sharing a meal, not sorting out salaries or anything.
As a vegetarian guest I would be fine with the inequality or unfairness of sharing my dish with people and not sharing theirs.
As a host, I wouldn't tell the vegetarian guests what they should or shouldn't do. If they only brought enough for themselves, I'd make sure they got it all rather than giving it to the meat eaters.

Sorry MaidofStars I ignored the bit where you said you'd cater for lots of people. So would I. It was just the idea that meat eaters ought to hold back from taking a 'little bit' to ensure that vegetarians get their rations. Sounds like a grim party to me.

To be honest, I've been vegetarian for so long now I couldn't care less about convincing anyone else to eat less meat. I did all that decades ago as a student.

People can eat want they like - just leave some food for me!

Recent posts do seem to be saying that meat eaters shouldn't eat the vegi foods. Does that mean you actually think I should go up to a buffet with salads and vegetable and chicken wings and charcuterie...and only eat the latter 2, in case the salads and vegetable dishes run out before you get there?
Because that seems to be saying that not only is it my responsibility to make sure you get your choice of food, but that my choices to eat salad as well as a chicken wing are not allowed?

Surely no?

The vegetarians, however. Well, they could bring just enough for themselves.

That's not what you posted before, but whatever.

Which posts are they, smarter?

As I say, I couldn't give a toss what you eat as long as you leave enough for me

"but that my choices to eat salad as well as a chicken wing are not allowed? "

Not that your choices are not allowed, just not as important as a vegetarians choice. They have real reasons to go for the salad, whereas you may just like the look of it.