Appetizers:
Crostini with Tapenade and/or traditional Tomato Bruscetta
Antipasto Display
Iced Seafood, Shrimp, Crab Claws, etc
Some kind of stuffed mushroom

Non-lettuce based salad, how about Texas Caviar, the blackeyed pea salad?
Any variation on a pasta salad
Coleslaw, but not with a mayo based dressing

Also you need a delicious cake / dessert to go with the fresh fruit. How about pound cake and creme anglaise?

Late night snack
How about a tray of cured meats, turkey breast, salamis and small rolls to make sandwiches. Cookies and dessert bars, beautiful pickles, chutneys and home canned goods.

Just a few ideas.

Cheese!...And fruits.
You live near Rouge et Noir which has the BEST brie....get a kilo and serve it just as is with some perfect crusty bread...with the champagne.
Strawberries....just whole,...also with the Champagne.
Mini cream puffs stuffed with things like ham salad, with lots of mayo for the preservative factor, or a minced cheese filling. for the midnight snack...
Will you be doing the cooking? how will that baked rosemary chicken be done? Will people sit at tables or eat out of their hands while roaming?
Linda C

Skeip,
I really like the idea of seafood on ice as part of the appetizer selection. (We'll have to see how that works with the budget!) Maybe mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat. The antipasto might be too vinegary to go with the champagne.

Lindac,
Cheeses and strawberries with champagne, lovely. (I wish I lived near Rouge et Noir, but we're driving up from So. Cal!)

The stuffed mini cream puff idea is a good one for the night snack. I can make the puffs ahead of time here and freeze them, so that wouldn't be too hard to do. And served at night, I won't have to worry about mayo based filling spoiling in the heat. We could get pretty creative with different fillings.

Appetizers and midnight snacks will be served while roaming around. Supper will be sit-down, outdoors on long tables.

Yes, there will be probably 3 of us doing the prep/cooking. But that's why I want food that can be prepared ahead and maybe just put in the oven. We'll have a couple of college kids helping out with serving and cleaning up.

I'm going to experiment on the chicken, but the bride sent me a simple recipe with bonless skin on chicken thighs and breasts with olive oil, minced garlic, pepper and fresh rosemary; high heat oven for about 15 minutes. (pretty much the way I do roasted potatoes).

I second the strawberries. In May you'll have those amazing strawberries coming out of Watsonville area (and those incredible velvetly plums coming out of Sonoma County). I used to pick up entire flats of strawberries on my way home from work for $5 or 6 a flat from the stands next to the fields.

What about the salad as a grain salad? Couscous, tabbouleh, something like that? Probably not with the potatoe, though, huh?

Panzanella would be good with the chicken. The recipe I use calls for toasted croutons mixed in. It's mostly tomatoes with a yummy basil vinaigrette and capers, olives, celery, onions, etc.

You could use gourmet tomatoes of whatever type. Tiny cherry and yellow pear. Heirloom stripy ones, etc. You could make the vinaigrette and the croutons (which you don't even need) the night (or several nights) before and then just slice the tomatoes and mix - up to an hour before serving. Even several hours if you refrigerate it but I think it is best at room temp or just barely chilled.

I second the little pastry puffs, they are always popular here with chicken salad, or seafood salad, it's easy to make an "assortment" and they lend themselves well to lots of different fillings.

For a salad how about insalata caprese, hopefully the tomatoes will be nice by then and it "holds" relatively well, although I like the idea of the panzanella too.

Fresh local strawberries, well, I can't think of one darned thing better, ever, and I like the asparagus for a starter, especially if it's fresh.

Annie

In early May, we'll be fine with the strawberries and the asparagus, but maybe not the tomatoes. In my garden the non-tomato season is from Feb-June.

Panzanella's a good idea if I find great tomatoes. As a backup, I could always slow roast tomatoes. And do a panzanella type recipe.

In this month's Saveur magazine, there was a pasta with rapini, orchiette pasta, olive oil, garlic, chili flakes served room temperature with dollops of goat cheese. I usually do a similar dish warm, but I was thinking it would make a good cold side pasta salad, maybe using the baby fresh mozzarella balls instead of the goat cheese so it would not melt into the pasta.

A grain salad could work instead of pasta.

Or maybe I could work the potatoes into the appetizer... baby red tomatoes topped with sour cream, red onions and caviar, and then do 1 grain and 1 pasta side (with heavy veggie content).

If you like the idea of a grain salad, there is one I make that I have actually written down. It is a popular side dish as it is pretty, fairly low-fat but well flavored, and it is substantial enough to be a meal for a vegetarian if any are attending. I have also made it with different roasted vegetables, depending on the season. It's a nice "make ahead" side dish because the flavors blend nicely as it sits and it can be served warm or at room temp. For your purposes, I'd serve it room temp and make it all up ready to go and just toss the dressing in an hour or so before serving.

Mixed grain salad with roasted butternut squash

A mixture of grainstry to use at least 3 kinds, of different colors. I use varying combinations of basmati rice, long grain brown rice*, barley, bulgar (tabuleh), quinoa, wild rice, millet, and sometimes, to lighten the texture, I add couscous.

Onions, celery, carrots-chopped

Green peas (frozen are fineÂif you have fresh, blanch them first)

Roasted butternut squash cubes**

Cranberry vinaigrette***

Chopped parsley & green onions

Chopped, toasted nuts (I like pecans or hazelnuts)

Cook grain selections separately, according to directions, but remember that they will absorb dressing and soften, so a bit al dente is better than over cooked.

Saute onions, celery, carrots until tender, but not too soft. Toss with grains, parsley, green onions and vinaigrette. Gently fold butternut squash cubes in.

*Short grain rices are too sticky for this dish, in my opinion.

**Roasted butternut squash. Peel squash. Cut into ½ inch cubes. toss in olive oil and roast in the oven, checking frequently until just cooked, but not mushy. If it doesnÂt brown at all, pass under a broiler after cooking just to brown the edges a bit.

***Cranberry vinaigrette. Make a basic vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine or champagne vinegar, garlic & onion powders, salt & pepper. Put the vinaigrette in a blender with about 3/4 Tablespoon dried cranberries per cup vinaigrette, and puree until smooth. Then, add about a quarter cup of dried cranberries for every cup vinaigrette, and pulse blender until cranberries are chopped, but not pureed. Let vinaigrette sit over night.

Before tossing the grain salad in the dressing, taste the vinaigrette for sweetness and add a bit of sugar if need be. It shouldnÂt be too tart or too sweet.

Sprinkle the toasted chopped nuts on top and garnish with sprigs of parsley, green onion tassels or carrot curls and a few whole dried cranberries.

For appetizers, a bowl of yogurt "cheese" balls with a plate of nice crackers or crouton toasts is always popular and seems a bit fancy without breaking the budget.

Yogurt Cheese in Olive Oil w/Herbs

Make a batch of yogurt. Line a colander or sieve with muslin or a clean, lint free dishcloth. Pour the yogurt in, fold the cloth over the top of the yogurt & put a weight on top. I use a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid, filled with water. Put the colander or sieve in the sink or over a bowl to catch the liquid (whey) as it drains.

The timing differs depending on how liquid the yogurt was to start with and how heavy the weight is, but leave it until the yogurt has become stiff, like cold cream cheese. It could be a couple of hours, or maybe 5 or 6...just check once in a while.

Then, roll the "cheese" into inch-round balls. Put them in a sterilized jar, sprinkling each layer with your choice of herbs & spices. When the jar is full, pour in olive oil until the "cheese" is covered. Store in the fridge. My original recipe said it would keep for 3 weeks, but I have noted that it keeps much longer than that as long as all the balls remain covered with oil.

This is a wonderful spread on good quality crackers, baguette slices or toast points...make sure to drizzle a bit of the herb flavored oil on each serving.

I like to use fresh marjoram, rosemary and chives from my garden, with the addition of some salt and chili pepper flakes. But really, follow your tastes, it's a very forgiving recipe.

If you are worried about mayo spoilage, here is what we did for our kids' grad parties. For one, we used a plastic lined wheel barrow filled with ice to set the spoilable salads in, the other, we bought the round plastic kiddy pools to set on a table filled with ice and salads. The pools are cheap, and if you wanted to "hide" them, cover them with the plastic table cloths. They can also be used to keep chilled beverages in. Perhaps these suggestions are not something that would work for you, but, may help someone with other warm weather parties that may be reading this thread.

Tami

"Cool" idea, Tami!
We have a summer solstice party every year. The kiddie pool idea would be fun. Thanks.

Rachelellen,
That recipe sounds yummy. I've been making more meatless meals for our family. I think I'll try it this weekend for dinner. With the roasted squash, cranberries and wild rice though, I imagine it as more of a fall/winter offering than spring picnic.

I admit, I've never made yogurt! Maybe it's time to try.

Still in "Spring picnic mode".....Went to a lovely spring wedding a few years ago and in the Champagne hour" waiters passed with trays of baby grilled lamb chops. The chops are cut very skinny, the bones Frenched and marinated and grilled....and eaten in your fingers.

Yum! We had those at a Gala last I went to last May. But probably too last-minute labor intensive. I'm meeting my catering friend for lunch this afternoon. She catered our wedding, so I'll pick her brain as well.
A

An add-on to Tami's suggestion...if it's a really hot day.

Set the plastic pools on a table with one end hanging off the table. Poke a few holes in that end with a screwdriver or something, and then place a big container under the holes on the ground. Skirt the table so this doesn't show. That way, you don't have to keep draining the container as the ice melts.

One of the salads our local Deli makes is a cashew/broccoli with either light mayo or lighy Miracle Whip. Not sure if anything else, but when it is out, there NEVER is left overs. I think the cashews are either salt free or light salt and it is the whole ones, not bits. If interested email me and I will find out more.

I was at a picnic wedding in CA. It was a very memorable event. Just when the couple kissed to seal the deal, a good size earth quake happened. The earth moved

It would be difficult for you to arrange for an earth quake. However, with all the suggestions here I am sure it is going to be very special. Sushi and Dim Sum are very popular here in NY for weddings.

Are you going to have any theme color that the foods can reinforce? Coordinate?

Just a quick thing: Insects, bees and flies can be annoying.

dcarch