Bring your creative ideas - menu planning for Ruby Wedding

[misshardbroom]

Gather round, get the kettle on and get your cookbooks out please lovely Mumsnetters.

I am charged with arranging a family celebration for my parents' Ruby Wedding in July.

It will be a daytime meal, and with luck the weather will be nice enough for people to sit out in the garden. It has to be buffet-style because we can't seat everyone around our teeny table.

15 people in total.
12 adults
3 children (5, 4 & 3)
one vegetarian but will eat fish
one coeliac

What would be on your buffet table?

I've done a lot of this sort of thing before but on this occasion my mind is a blank.

Oh, and I don't do barbecues. Not ever.

Whole salmon
Ham
Huge veggie quiche
Bread rolls
Potato salad (but dressed rather than mayonaise)
Green salad
Tomato salad
Cheese board
Strawberries and cream
Trifle
Plate of fruit nicely arranged (much nicer than fruit salad)
Fairy cakes

Mmm, Janeite's menu sounds delicious!

You could also consider roasting a beef joint and having it warm/cold alongside the ham and salmon.

Other options:
Roasted mediterranian vegetables, served warm or cold. I love peppers, aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes, with plenty of garlic and olive oil.

A rice salad (coelics can eat this, no?).

Mmm some lovely ideas already. I'd add:

Coronation Chicken or Delia's tarragon Chicken (can also be made with turkey)google for recipes.

Mixed Bean salad

As well as cheeseboard, you could add meat, fish and vegetarian pate, serve with crackers and/or baguettes

I love making desserts, but if you don't, suggest Costco if you or anyone you know has a card

I would go a bit for the "ruby" connection with one of those posh jellies/terrines with red fruits/berries in it. Or (easier) strawberries and cream or (even easier, no hulling) raspberries and cream.

Red wine, of course, but pink champagne might be fun.

Using pomegranate seeds over a salad or even a meat dish (Mexican lamb?) would look quite ruby-like.

Maison Blanc also do a rather good pink cake ("frasier") with strawberries in that you can get in Waitrose now, though a big one would be nicer.

Red rose petals on the white tablecloth, perhaps?

ah, clever thinking, chatname!