A very casual afternoon gathering. Have a look at my menu?

[Passportto]

I've invited two dozen people for a very informal gathering in my garden, on the proviso that if the weather's bad we'll go to the pub instead and if they stay into the evening we'll order takeaway. It's not fancy, I'm not campaigning to be super host, it's about getting some lovely people together and everyone having a nice relaxed time.

People have all offered to bring something and I've said whatever you like to drink, but will provide beer and wine too. I know the people well and they'll bring plenty of drink.

So for afternoon "nibbles" I have:

Bread
Cheese
Olives
Sausage rolls
Niscoise salad (without the tuna)
Coleslaw
Cherry toms
Pork pies
Mackerel Pate
Nuts
Crisps
Fruit platter (probably melon and grapes, maybe strawberries)
Selection of homemade cakes

I'm thinking keep it simple and provide plenty of everything, rather than loads of variety. What do you think?

There are a couple of vegans, I probably need another hearty salad?

Something with nuts.

Sounds lovely. Maybe consider adding some cold cuts.

cous cous....yellow and orange peppers, apricots, lots of lemon juice, shreds of carrot, nuts, herbs, lovely dressing, chickpeas

nice for vegans, nicer with chargrilled chicken.

Sounds delicious OP! Maybe dips (humus) and crackers and an easy cous cous salad?

Why no tuna?

I did think about dips, but the double dipping bothers me

Mostly because I don't like it and the best recipe I know is from River Cottage Veg Everyday Lonicera but also because I thought it would be better without in the sun (it's going to be sunny!) all afternoon, but then Iadded the mackrel....

Are you making your sausage roles, if so i make these sausage rolls alot, they are lovely. You roll out your pastry, spread some english mustard then mature cheese. Take the skin off a sausage squish it onto the cheese then roll and cut up.

Also could you maybe do some baby potatos.

One of my friends adds chopped onion and chopped apple to the sausage meat then spreads it onto a sheet of pastry and rolls it up and cuts it into pinwheels. They are delicious.

It sounds delicious! Am intrigued by the tuna free Niçoise salad though - basically an egg, olive and bean salad? Perhaps have just a green salad as well?

Could you have a dish of tinned tuna next to the Nicoise for those who want some?

Something to put the pate on would be nice. Oatcakes perhaps

Mmmmm, a lovely selection certainly got my taste buds going

Vegetarian nicoise salad

I thought the bread was for the pate?

This is making me starving!

There’s not a lot for vegans there. You need a “main” thing for them, an equivalent of the mackerel, pork pies etc...

I’d do samosas and bhajis, falafel or vegan “sausage” rolls.

You've got a mixture of finger food and fork food so you're going to needs plates & forks & people will need to sit down. Is that ok? If nit, I'd switch to all nibbles and remove the coleslaw and salad and add more things that can be picked up - honey and mustard sausages, pastry with toppings, a bean dip or baba ganoush.

I would include chicken drumsticks - plain, savoury or whatever you like.

Hmmm.... your menu is all over the place. Sausage rolls, coleslaw, salad Nicoise, cherry tomatoes, nuts?
Bread, cheese, olives - yep, add some charcuterie, green salad, crudities with Bagna Cauda...

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm now wondering if I really need a menu as such. I've billed it as "drinks and nibbles" and we're starting at 3pm so people will have had lunch and if they stay long enough for dinner, I've said takeaway later, so maybe just crisps, nuts, olives, a fruit platter and cake would be better?

I'm not attempting vegan cake though.

From what time to what time? If after lunch and before supper, then nuts etc will be fine.

Ok, so if you've billed as nibbles, I would ditch all the items needing plates and cutlery, no salads or coleslaw or pate and stick to savoury things that can be picked up and popped in the mouth with one hand.

Honey and mustard sausages always go down well, and I like Delia's tiny cheese straws with drinks. For vegan nibbles, jus rol's puff pastry is vegan and can be topped with tapenade, tomatoes, roasted veg, that sort of thing. I also like making guacamole with pitta chips, though slightly messier.