No Fuss Supper-boards
We often mention that We love to have friends over for kitchen suppers. Our preference is for no fuss catch ups over simple food and a bottle of wine. Interestingly, what We realised a couple of years ago was, that when our family eat on holiday in France, we eat very differently. Meal times tended to consist of emptying the fridge which is invariably full of cheeses and cured hams. Added to this is basically anything else that I can forage; olives, some nuts, sliced fruit, a bit of leftover salad.
It works well, and primarily, because We are usually catering for a dozen adults and children. We are often feeding people with different tastes and dietary requirements, some hungry, some not. Supper-boards just cut out the fuss, and throwing things out buffet style lets people grab away.
We’ve come to the conclusion though that this works anywhere, not just in France. So I wondered why don't We do this in Dubai?
I think we put ourselves under pressure to prepare plated extravaganzas, and anything outside that is maybe seen as a lazy option, but it really isn't. It's common sense really.
How Do You Do It?
So often when there are friends over or even if we just fancy a coffee table nibble in front of a box set, I will pull out a big bread board (Ikea has some great oversized ones) and pile on some bits and pieces from the cupboard. You would be surprised how filling it is.
Here are some kitchen cupboard staples that I often use.
- Any cold meats - Ham or leftover cold cuts from a Sunday roast
- pancetta/salami/Breasola
- Crackers, any shape or size, small rice crackers or digestives work just as well
- Pickle - pickle onions, relish, coleslaw, Branston, mango chutney
- Cheeses or cream cheese
- pate
- smoked salmon and prawns for a posh one
- Crisps, nachos
- Nuts
- Sliced apple, a handful of strawberries, grapes
- Olives or pickled gherkins
- Dried apricots or dates
- Crudités, in any form, carrots, celery, peppers
- a basket of assorted bread
Quick Tip:
If you want to take this informal idea totally upmarket then consider paring your cheese choices with the perfect wines.Check out some options on http://www.Vinepair.com