Greek panzanella is insanely good. It can be a side dish or a main dish for vegetarians. People go nuts over this dish. I brought it to a party recently and it was the only thing that was all gone and everyone asked me about it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/greek-panzanella-recipe/index.html

Anonymous wrote:You could do a plate of endive leaves. In each leaf, put a schmear of goat cheese, and then something on top. The something on top could be: a strip of roasted red pepper; some sun-dried tomato pieces and pine nuts, some sprinkled chopped basil, a few raspberries, what have you.

Roasted red pepper, goat cheese, and sauvignon blanc is one of my favorite outdoor flavor combinations.



Miss Goat Cheese Endive is that you?

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/255050.page

No, I'm definitely not Miss Goat Cheese Endive. For starters, not even a Miss.
But it does happen to be a nice summer nibble.

And thanks for the reminder -- that was a funny (if contentious) thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Low country boil: Potatoes, shell-on shrimp (buy USA wild caught, frozen is fine), kielbasa, and corn on the cob cooked in a stockpot with either Old Bay or Zataran's seasoning and bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread and cold beer or white wine. So good.



People so seem to like this. I must be the only one who thinks it's gross.



I don't like it either. I'd be upset if I showed up to dinner and had boiled sausages and shrimp w/bland potatoes.

If serving pasta, I think any good light salad-y sides that were recommended above would be good accompaniments. I like the goat cheese endive dish especially.

They're totally different dishes, and totally different parties. For the Italian-style garden party OP has in mind, pastas and antipasti are the way to go.
Low country boil is a wonderful thing, but a much more casual beach thing -- kind of like cracking crabs. (And the potatoes aren't bland. You spice them up -- either with hot sausage as I suggested, or Old Bay, or both. And then serve hot sauce on the side for people who like that kind of thing.)

BTW I'm the goat cheese/endive poster, and I think that would totally fit at OP's party. But I'm also the hot-sausage-in-shrimp-boil poster, and I love that on a different kind of day (not for OP's party).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Low country boil: Potatoes, shell-on shrimp (buy USA wild caught, frozen is fine), kielbasa, and corn on the cob cooked in a stockpot with either Old Bay or Zataran's seasoning and bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread and cold beer or white wine. So good.

People so seem to like this. I must be the only one who thinks it's gross.

I don't like it either. I'd be upset if I showed up to dinner and had boiled sausages and shrimp w/bland potatoes.

If serving pasta, I think any good light salad-y sides that were recommended above would be good accompaniments. I like the goat cheese endive dish especially.

14:59 again. If you want to do a pasta dinner, this is a great easy dish that my guests have liked a lot:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-pasta-with-sausage-tomatoes-cheese-10000000549971/
serve it with crusty garlic bread and do a mock version of the maggianno house salad - just do a search. For the kids serve raw veggies and dip perhaps?

I always do pulled pork in the crock pot - virtually no work at all once you put it in in the morning. then I would add a corn, tomato and mozzarella salad - this one is great:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/fresh-corn-tomato-salad-recipe/index.html, watermelon or a nice fruit salad. Make it easy so you can enjoy yourself.