Lunch for a fussy vegetarian

[BlingLoving]

DH's mate is coming for lunch this weekend. He claims to be vegetarian, but really, he's just fussy - I have seen him eat fish and he turns his nose up at a lot of veggie food.

I don't want to get myself worked up because he lands up not eating, but at the same time, I do want to provide a nice meal.

I was sort of thinking of doing a kind of buffet/meze type thing but not sure what to include. If I recall, he doesn't eat much cheese (too fatty/unhealthy).

All ideas appreciated/

What about a puff pastry tart with salad? You could pesto with roasted peppers, with a green salad and a tomato and onion salad? If that's too summery, what about sauteed mushrooms with red onions, garlic and thyme, and little flecks of Taleggio? You could have that with the green salad. Or a version of pissaladiere with lots of softened onions, slices of tomato, black olives and the odd anchovy criss-crossed across it? I'd serve that with a fresh goats' cheese on the side.

You could do

Thanks.

Tarts are out due to his fussiness. He won't admit it, but he won't eat them.

This particular friend of DH's drives me mad sometimes.

I was thinking about it last night and I think I'll do a couple of good pates (veggie and fish). Great bread. Olives. Some cheese. Good salads. And then perhaps something like some stuffed peppers or something. he can pick and choose what he wants...

He doesn't like pastry?

That is fussy.

Your plan sounds delicious and not too much work.

You could always do a big bowl of buttered new potatoes, so there's something to fill up on to compensate for anything he doesn't eat.

SEriously, he is a pain. I think he's a) a food snob and b) has weird health/weight issues. So he lives on the odd lettuce leave on the side most of the time.

And the food snob makes me laugh because I am a bit of a food snob myself, so really, anything you eat at my house will most likely be suitably poncy in terms of food providence etc .