Dinner party in hot weather - please help!

[Rockchick1984]

Got family over on Tuesday for a meal - it's very rare that I cook for more than just me, DH and DS and one of the people coming round is very judgey so I need to make something nice. Normally would go for something I can't screw up a roast, casserole or similar but its just too warm for anything like that at the moment. Please can someone suggest anything? Oh, and can't cost the earth to make, max budget is £15-20 to feed 5 adults and 1 toddler!

Sod judgy person!
I'd do jacket potatoes, salad, chicken legs, coleslaw & salad

I'd roast a chicken - but instead of doing a traditional roast, stuff it with chunks of lemon and a good sloosh of olive oil and lemon juice over the top, as well as some fresh time.

Serve with crusty bread, salad and roasted mediterranean veg - e.g. red onions, mixed peppers, aubergine, whole bulb of garlic, courgette, etc etc

I'd do chicken legs/thighs/ tray bake, roasted as biwi says.also stick some garlic in as well (not peeled.)Watercress/spinach/rocket salad with roasted beetroot w/balsemic dressing/honey mustard dressing) with cous cous cooked in vegetable stock with added butter, lemon and chopped parsley.

For pud do a fool. whip thick yoghurt/cream with lemon curd. splash out on two passion fruit and dribble over the top.

sorry meant to say all food served at room temp, not hot or chilled.

oh also meant to add do lemony/garlic/herb mayo (or all three together!

Salmon Coulibiac is really delicious, impressive, quite summery and you can prepare it in advance. You can get a whole slab of salmon very cheaply in many supermarkets, they're often on special offer, I've bought for under a fiver before.

apart from fool. that should be chilled.

Roast Chicken with roast potatoes and bag of watercress/spinach/rocket salad with a naice dressing.

chicken ideas sound lovely and what about a chilled or iced gazpacho to start? here

Oooh yes, Gazpacho is lovely.

was also going to say that the combo I suggested can be really gussied up re presentation...bed of couscous, then salad , then the chicken arranged on top with a drizzle of the mayonnaise. it was one of my best sellers at my caff.

You could ring the changes with the basic idea, and coat the chicken in harissa paste, and swap the salad for one made of thinly sliced fennel, red onion and pomegranate seeds with a lime and olive oil dressing and lots of fresh coriander. serve that on top of chicken though. tyum.

best gazpacho recipe I have found was from a Moro cookbook, and also an amazing almond soup. sounds odd but is utterly amazling (also cold!)

madam defarge i would come to your caff any time....

thanks lovely! all finished now. but toying with the idea of doing a pop up!

tip tip for iced gazpacho is to actually make the ice cubes from the soup...means it doesn't get diluted.

or top tip, even!

Some fab ideas, thankyou all! Never tried gazpacho, so would have to either be brave and just make it, or do a trial run tomorrow! :)

I'd do skewers with (newly precooked) chicken, chorizo, halloumi, peppers and mushrooms, homemade potato salad/coleslaw, mixed salad and corn cobs. Pimms or chilled white for drinks and cold tipsy crumble (summer fruits soaked in pimms) or sorbet and fruit for pud.

I was about to mention gazpacho, as am a real fan of chilled soup, another option would be chilled pea with mint, very seasonal.

A quick tasty summer dish which looks fab when being served is Hugh FW new potatoes, asparagus and egg bake.

What about salad Niçoise?

Just had it for our supper tonight and it was dead easy to prepare and looks pretty when it's served up. According to Elizabeth David's Mediterranean recipe book you can put whatever you have to hand in it. I used artichoke hearts, potatoes, french beans, tomatoes, gherkins, olives, hard boiled egg and lettuce. I added a spoon of mayo but it should really have an olive oil dressing. I didn't use tuna and ED suggests adding anchovies. DH says he would have added spring onion.

A fruit fool, or Eton mess type dish using red berries and shop bought meringue for dessert. Plum crumble and posh icecream?