dinner party veg

[poshme]

I'm having a dinner party for friends & trying to work out veg to do. I don't want to be fiddling about with anything during starter or when people arrive, so ideally something that'll cook in advance and happily sit for a while.,
We're having posh beef stew with new potatoes.
Any great ideas?

roasted butternut squash would be nice!

Is it a tomatoey winey stew? Asparagus works well.

Courgette rings, blanched. Carrot sticks boiled for a couple of minutes. Assemble carrot sticks in courgette rings and place in a serving dish. Cling film and microwave for 1-2 minutes to warm through just before serving.

Easy and looks quite pretty.

I would do asparagus -posh and in season - admittedly it would be best if you did it at the last minute but it literally takes 2 minutes and you could either pop it in with your new potatoes (am assuming you are boiling those?) for 5 minutes before you serve or, if you have one, do it in a steamer basked on top of the potato pan

At this time of year asparagus

Another vote here for asparagus, roast in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and some segments of lemon, prepare in advance and put it in on the bottom shelf as you sit down for your first course.

Or shelled fresh peas and romaine lettuce simmered in stock and dressed with a spoon of double cream just before serving. Prepare the peas and lettuce before hand, then heat up the stock as you are starting to clear away the first course, dump veg into bubbling stock then dish up main course, strain and tip peas and lettuce into a serving dish and add a spoon of cream, black pepper if you like it. Sit back and eat summer.

Asparagus, fresh peas or broad beans, just lightly steamed for me, the meal will be rich enough without adding oil, butter, cream etc to the veg.

Broad beans will be fab just now, but unless they are very young/fresh do take the extra time to double skin them, so worth it for taste and colour.

Steamed sprouting broccoli -almost out of season now, but a nice change of texture from the potatoes and stew ( you may beable to get the tendersweet from M &S ?)

I saw sprouting broccoli in Sainsburys yesterday.

Whole Chantenay baby carrots, tossed in a bit of butter and honey with fresh thyme, roasted in the oven for 30 mins. No faffing and they taste delicious.

Then just steam, poach or grill asparagus for a couple of minutes before serving up, and add some melted butter.

Thank you! Lots of great ideas.