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What would you cook for a Very Big Lunch? Please do share your top ideas

57 replies

KateMumsnet · 05/04/2011 11:11

This year, Mumsnet is working with the The Big Lunch, the Eden Project initiative which aims to get as many people as possible sharing food with their neighbours on Sunday 5th June.

The Big Lunch are aiming to get as many neighbourhoods as possible to sign up, and we're hoping they'll be tempted with Mumsnetters' favourite recipes for a summer party.

We're thinking crowd cooking, nice nibbles, child-friendly dishes and tasty bits that can be chucked on the barbecue.

Do please share your ideas here on this thread. A selection of your recipes will be used in a Mumsnet Big Lunch cookbook - downloadable from www.thebiglunch.com in May.

Also in May (the 8th to be precise), the BBC2 series The Great British Menu are filming an episode on the Big Lunch - so do put your virtual hand up here if you can come to Leadenhall Market in London ready to impress the judges with your best party victuals...

You can find out more on the Big Lunch site, and don't forget to register your own Big Lunch to get a free Starter Pack by post.

Thanks, MNHQ

OP posts:
laptopwieldingharpy · 05/04/2011 14:53

Nothing beats a big paella cooked on open coals.

-Fry onions garlic chicken thighs and chorizo in lashings of olive oil
-Add rice and stir until translucent
-add chopped tomato, saffron, peas, bell peppers

  • add fish stock one laddle at a time
Done
longislandicetea · 05/04/2011 17:30

Puff pastry stars, smear with ketchup, pop a cocktail sausage on top and sprinkle with cheddar. Bake for 15/20 odd mins. The kids love them and the grown ups don't complain either.

hobbgoblin · 05/04/2011 18:09

Take a lack of interest, add a dash of indifference and place in tupperware at the back of fridge to be forgotten about until December when you clear out to make room for the Turkey.

dionysia · 05/04/2011 19:57

chop halloumi into slices. wrap in bacon. barbeque.

there is no way i know of eating more fat and salt in a single bite.

Bubbaluv · 06/04/2011 03:40

Fairy Bread. I thought it was a universal thing, but my English and american friends don't seem to know it so am now thinking maybe it's an Australian invention? Anyway - white bread, spread with butter, sprinkle with multi-coloured hundreds and thousands.
It is soooo much nicer than it sounds and ridiculously easy.

JulesJules · 06/04/2011 09:31

Street Parties? Really?

Fairy bread was a staple of birthday party teas when I was a child, Bubbaluv, so not just an Aussie thing, but I haven't noticed it at parties my dds go to.

CarmenSales · 06/04/2011 11:23

.

LindsayWagner · 06/04/2011 15:48

Chicken legs (cheap!) with thyme, whole cloves of garlic, 2 quartered lemons, olive oil and a generous sprinkling of crunchy sea-salt flakes - chuck 20-odd in a big roasting tin and roast for 40 mins or so at 180c.

Enormous salads of romaine lettuce, chopped red onion, roughly-crumbled feta, chunks of beetroot, cherry toms with a dressing made of garlic, olive oil, balsamic, dash of honey and seasalt.

Charred roasted peppers - jumble of red, yellow, orange looks pretty. You'll need 15 for a big bowl - buy from your local market 5 for a £ unless you're loaded very pressed for time. Put whole into a roasting tin under a medium-hot grill, turn every five mins, till they're blackened in patches all over (do in 2 batches). Leave to cool if you like your fingertips. Peel, de-seed, roughly chop, mix in a big bowl with dressing of balsamic/olive oil, maybe a bit of garlic.

Ripe cherry toms, mozzarella, basil (quite a lot, not just a garnish), good olive oil . Crush the cherry toms with a rolling pin or similar, so some juice can come out but they're still recognizably a fruit/vegetable product. Tear the basil and mozzarella (buy the budget own-brand stuff), douse with good olive oil (it's the new 'nice ham', you know) and vinegar of your choice (red wine, balsamic) - but not as much vinegar as you'd usually use for a vinaigrette. A bit of salt and lots and lots of black pepper.

Griddled courgettes, finely chopped mint, finely chopped chilli, lemon juice, chopped garlic, good olive oil. This is delicious but definitely a 'can I really be all that arsed' one - griddling courgettes in any quantity takes a fair while so unless you have a nice radio 4 programme to listen to and time to potter, substitute fine green beans for the courgettes.

Orange, watercress and red onion salad. Chunks of orange (you need to de-skin, sorry. Easier than you think, once you've looked it up on YouTube), lots of watercress, other lettucy, herby bits and bobs, chopped red onion, and honey vinaigrette as with beetroot/feta salad above.

MrsRhettButler · 06/04/2011 16:05

i want to go to Lindsay's street party....

longislandicetea · 06/04/2011 16:13

oooh me too. Excellent ideas for summer eats in the garden. YUM

ednurse · 06/04/2011 19:12

Fairy bread but with nutella instead of butter!

candleshoe · 06/04/2011 19:51

nom nom nom

I do an Eton Mess with greek yoghurt instead of the whipped double cream, and mango instead of strawberries + broken meringue as normal ...

it is usually popular Smile

MikeRotch · 06/04/2011 19:58

icods crazy philadelphia dip
people LICK the plate after this

dollop chees on plate
squirt sweet chilli sauce liberally over
serve with ritz crackers

MikeRotch · 06/04/2011 19:58

lol imagine deseeding pepers for 15 people

MikeRotch · 06/04/2011 19:59

fairy bread sounds GOPPING

CMOTdibbler · 06/04/2011 21:30

Baked new potatos - baby new potatos, shove on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle generously with maldon salt, put in oven for 45 min at 200'c. Guzzle with sour cream and chives or garlic mayo

MrsShrekTheThird · 06/04/2011 21:30

erm, did the thread title just change or did I imagine it ....was something to do with Street Parties before Confused

blondebutonlyfaking · 06/04/2011 22:02

I catered for 75 people all by myself.

Age range from 86 to 1.

I did loads of different rice things, buckets of rice, loads of baked potatoes.

12 desserts.

And buns and traybakes for afters.

Do I win a watch?

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 06/04/2011 22:04

My feta dip:

mashed feta
bit of natural yoghurt
chopped green chilli
black pepper
squeeze of lemon juice

To be gobbled up with strips of warm toasted pitta bread.

Trifle - I do a normal raspberry one and a chocolate and pear one.

CaptainNancy · 06/04/2011 22:12

ColonelBrandon- I feel I know you... do I?

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 06/04/2011 22:16

You do! The Biggest Groupie bit is the clue but you are v clever to have worked it out! :)

CaptainNancy · 06/04/2011 22:26

S'all right- it wasn't the name... saw a post earlier and thought it sounded like you, then saw the recipe... and it sounded just like something delicious you'd make Grin

Am v hungry now... warm toasted pitta bread sounds divine.

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 06/04/2011 22:30

:)

This thread made me hungry too - am eating crunchy nut cornflakes though, rather than something homemade and delicious. Blush

candleshoe · 06/04/2011 22:45
MikeRotch · 06/04/2011 22:53

I do the feta Dip now too