Safari Supper Starters recipe wanted

[Peter Pan]

In two weeks time we have the village 'Safari Supper' where 28 couples entertain each other for 4 courses (Starter, Fish, Main, Pudding). Each couple gets two envelopes on the evening - the first to let them know who their six guests will be and the other to let you know which house you are going to next. So you end up having a course in four different houses (incl. your own) with potentially 24 people you may never have met (unlikely given the size of the 2 villages taking part).

As 'virgins' to this, the organisers have gone easy on us and we have the Starter course and am trying to come up with something that can be made in advance or cooked simply and quickly at the time. Fish is out as it is the next course and one of my guests apparently doesn't like 'raw tomatoes'!

I thought I could do individual goats cheese tartlets or maybe some stuffed home raviolis (big ones), but starters aren't really my thing. Any ideas?

[Gerard Clarke]

Piedmont peppers. Follow Elizabeth David.

The whole thing sounds a bit car keys and kitsch fondue party. Are any of the other blokes' car keys worth getting hold of, if you take my meaning?

[Keef]

Baked camembert?

Escargots?

Both your ideas sound OK to me.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Piedmont peppers. Follow Elizabeth David.

The whole thing sounds a bit car keys and kitsch fondue party. Are any of the other bloke's car keys worth getting hold of, if you take my meaning?

Right on the money on all counts.

[Pete S]

Leeks vinaigrette: Cold so can be prepared in advance:

Just make sure you get the vinaigrette sauce right, not too flash and free range eggs have a better looking more orangey yolk.

And use the small miniature leeks if possible: looks better than the big 'uns.

Alternatively if you want to ramp it up a bit, ditch the eggs and serve the leeks vinaigrette under pan-fried scallops: (they don't really count as 'fish' in starters) - this does need a bit closer supervision to get the scallops 'just so' or they'll go rubbery pdq.

I remember 'Progressive Dinners ' as they were called then in the 80s.

Usually had to drive home with one eye closed.

Thought the drink driving laws had put paid to them.

Peter

[Peter Pan]

Thanks all. GC, you are not the first one to mention 'car keys'. Not sure any of the ones (or at least the ones I know) are better than mine. However there is a rumour that a certain couple in the Village may be up for the odd test drive as it were.

Keef - not sure snails would go down well. I've been told that the majority of folk in these parts rate food on quantity not quality too. Baked camembert is nice (Vacherin nicer!).
Gerard - yes Piedmont Peppers are yummy, espesh with a nice spread of decent charcuterie
PeteS - I have done the Leeks Vinaigrette before and I have thought ofd scallops too but one of the guests can't eat shellfish.

Practice Time tomorrow so off with big shopping list to the local farm shop & waitrose

[Peter Pan]

UPDATE - Saturday was most enjoyable, although it felt like Masterchef as I foolishly invited 2 friends along at 3pm to see and taste what I had assembled. One of them is a vegetarian which complicated things a little. Here is what I did:

* Rosemary & Garlic studded Focaccia
* Pheasant stuffed Ravioli in a Chianti Sauce
* Ravioli stuffed with Ricotta, Parmesan and spinach in a lemon butter sauce
* Roasted red onion tartlets (quiche-lorraine type recipe, one without bacon for the veggie)
* Piedmont Peppers
* Salad with my own recipe dressing made with Northamptonshire yellow Rapeseed oil.

The pasta was nice - a Locatelli recipe with home made pasta - two large ones each. Could be a bit fiddly on the timings though. The tartlets went down a storm, thanks to my late Gran having taught me how to make the perfect and shortest shortcrust pastry.
Plan therefore is to do the tartlets in the afternoon and warm them up later. Piedmont peppers and salad as an accompaniment

[Gerard Clarke]

That's all fine, but now tell us about the sex.

[Peter Pan]

That's all fine, but now tell us about the sex.

...that was Saturday just gone when we did the gig for real - 28 couples in all and plenty of car-keys to get mixed up Sadly given the age of most of the villagers there was a definite lack of eye-candy.

[Gerard Clarke]

You are too hard on yourself, PP. Surely you still have your craggy rugged charms.