I'd probably do a bunch of appetizer type items. Enough so that those who chose to eat light would be ok but those who wanted something more substantial (men and if there are any teenagers will most likely fall into this category) can fill up. In addition to the fruit, a couple of chip/dips, and some things you can easily make ahead. For example, meatballs (either make ahead or use frozen ones) in sauce. My favorite sauce is ketchup & beer - you'd be surprised how tasty that combo is. Instead of duplicating the cheese tray, why not do a queso type dip or VERY easy, cream cheese block with a sweet-hot jelly poured over the top. I've made a rice-krispie cheese "cookie" recipe which is very good, and again, easy to make in advance and serve room temp. If you want the recipe LMK and I'll dig it up. Again, this is a "cheese" item but without duplicating the lunch menu. Veggies are IMO always welcome so I'd definitely do those even though they were served earlier. When I have a lot of people over like that, it's nice to have stuff they can just graze on so that whoever is hungry can eat whenever they want.

Most of the wild vs. farmed salmon controversy is political. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, for example, is in the business of advocating for sustainable fish populations. So their information is slanted in the direction of persuading us to do what is best (in their opinion) for the fish populations, not so much what is best on our dinner plate. They are pretty picky in their speculation of things which may possibly contaminate farmed salmon, but not concerned about contaminants in pond raised catfish or tilapia. As a conservationist and recreational fisherman, I am sympathetic to preservation of fish stocks. I have seen the striped bass virtually disappear from Cape Cod waters and then, fortunately, make an astounding comeback. I could relate many stories like that one, some with less fortunate outcomes. But that is a different issue from food safety. One of the few scientific studies I could find comparing wild to farmed salmon found parasites in every one of the sampled wild fish and none in the farmed fish. Other studies, looking for toxins such as PCBs, found insignificant differences at the parts per billion level between wild and farmed. Atlantic salmon is raised in large pens which are constantly flushed with tons of cold sea water. The ocean is large. Waste products are quickly diluted, unlike ponds where the same water is recirculated again and again. The salmon are fed a carefully formulated diet, just as farm animals are. Farmed salmon are not exposed to parasites as wild fish are in foraging for food. BTW, wild fish do not become infected with parasites from penned fish as is suggested by the Monterey Bay site. The penned fish have no parasites. An issue has been made about substances used color the flesh of the fish. The substances used are carotinoids, the same as used in chicken feed to give the chicken a nice color and the same as occur in fruits and vegetables. This issue makes me recall the days when dairy farmers in some states were able to have yellow color prohibited from use in margarine, making the pale stuff less appealing. Ironically, commercial butter often gets an assist from carotene too. I frequently make gravlox, using farmed Atlantic salmon. That way I can chow down inexpensively on a very tasty treat. I would not use wild salmon for this. Nor would I use wild salmon for sushi. Wild salmon is not suitable for raw eating unless is is first frozen to subzero temperatures to kill parasites. This long post barely scratches the surface or the wild vs. farmed salmon controversy. There are many issues. For example, I suspect that the availability of farmed salmon takes fishing pressure off the wild stocks. Doesn't that make sense? Unless I hear something convincing, I'll continue to enjoy lots of farmed salmon. Jim

A frittata is always a good breakfast dish for entertaining, since it can be served warm or at room temperature and can be made ahead of time. They're also very adaptable to whatever you have on hand. Here is my favorite recipe...I make substitutions for everything but the eggs from time to time! Vegetable & Cheese Frittata 8 eggs 2 t lemon juice (preferably Meyer)& 1 t zest (optional) Chopped fresh herbs (For mild, leafy herbs, 1 T or more but if you use rosemary, use significantly less, as it's so strong) 4 oz of cheese(s)grated or crumbled 2 green onions, chopped (or 1/3 c carmelized red onions) Minced garlic (I like garlic, so I use 4 or 5 cloves, but if cooking for folks whose tolerance I'm unsure of, I use 2) Salt & pepper olive oil A mixture of vegetables-your choice, 1 to 1 1/2 c, after precooking. 1/2 c Balsamic vinegar, simmered until reduced by half. Preheat the oven to 325. Prepare your vegetables. Most veggies will need to be at least partially precooked, both to reduce water content and to ensure tenderness, so saute them in olive oil with the garlic and some salt & pepper. Roasted red bell peppers is one of my favorites for this dish, with sauteed mushrooms or greens of some kind. Asparagus is wonderful with some oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (saute the asparagus in some of the tomato oil...yum!). Eggplant works well also, I usually brush it with oil and cook it on the grill, as it absorbs too much when sauteed...I like the eggplant coupled with the tender tips & leaves of celery hearts. As for the cheese, I like to use a combination, but it isn't necessary. I like blue with mozzarella or jack, or feta with Parmesan, but sharp cheddar is good as well. Mix all the ingredients except for the eggs & Balsamic in a bowl and mix well. Whip the eggs with a whisk until good and foamy, then pour over the other ingredients. In a 9 inch frypan with an oven proof handle, heat one T of olive oil very hot but not smoking. Turn the pan to coat it with oil, and then pour in the egg and veggie mixture. The pan should be hot enough to sear the bottom of the eggs, but then immediately move it to a low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the sides begin to set up, and then finish in the oven for about 20 minutes. The frittata should be firm and turning gold on top, not brown. Use a heat proof rubber spatula to loosen the frittata in the pan, and when it is free, put a plate over it and turn over, so that the bottom of the eggs are facing up. Brush the frittata with the reduced balsamic just before serving.

How are you grilling the swordfish - over charcoal or in a grill pan indoors? I generally do swordfish indoors so that I can put a domed lid over the grill pan to keep the fish from drying out, and I add some mushrooms and/or zucchini, which add moisture. Anyway, I normally grill mushrooms, zucchini, onions, red bell pepper, etc when I grill swordfish, and I think grilled vegetables would be a welcome addition to orzo even if it does have vegetables in it. I also always serve tartar sauce with grilled swordfish, and this helps in case the fish is a bit dry. Swordfish is very lean and therefore does not absorb much smoke flavor from charcoal, unlike salmon. BTW, grilled swordfish is one of my very favorite meals! Another thing you can grill with it is garlic toast. To make the toast, slice some Italian or sourdough very thickly and spread with butter that has been combined with mashed garlic, olive oil, and black pepper (and salt if using unsalted butter). Grill the bread at the edge of the grill so that it will cook more slowly. Lars