Is it to be a buffet or sit down?

Simple grilled salmon works for me..or a fav of mine..

Med rare grilled salmon on Caesar salad.

You could do a simple skewer of grape/cherry tomatoes, mini mozz balls and your basil...a quick drizzle of EVOO and balsamic on the platter before serving..

The ribs sound good but are they necessary?

Instead of skewers...Couldn't you do this tabouleh salad but use your basil instead of the mint??..all the other bits in it go with Basil.

Dessert could be some butter cookies and a fruit and a chocolate sorbet.

Why not just make a lovely selection of salads - tomato, potato, pasta, tabouleh with grilled salmon and perhaps something like chicken skewers as an option? Make a chilled fresh fruit salad for pudding with an ice-cream option.

I'm doing a dinner party tonight and the main course will be Bourride.You prepare some onion, carrot and leek and gently fry then add white wine and water. Season to taste. Brown some on the bone monkfish then add that to the veggies for 10 mins. Reserve the fish, then add aioli to the veggies, being sure that it doesn't boil, to make a lovely, creamy sauce. Serve with boiled potatoes.

A big salad.

No one gets too excited with a salad, but if you use interesting ingredients, plate it carefully, it will be a huge memerable success. Go to the farmer market, and an Asian store, you will find very interesting veggies to work with.

Homemade bread. Everyone enjoys fresh home make bread. You have done very well with your bread.

Homemade ice cream. Wow! I have been making Mango ice cream, peach ice cream, melon ice cream, straw berry ice cream, coconut ice cream ----- So easy.

dcarch

It will be a sit-down. Okay, some coffee (it is still early here) and then time to figure out the menu. Salad, check - headed to the farmer's market shortly. Ice cream, check - peach or mango sound yummy. Bread, great idea - I haven't been able to make bread in awhile (doesn't really go with my diet) so this will be fun.

I would make a simple grilled salmon the main "meat" course and serve pork riblets and perhaps a savory cheesecake with a layer of basil pesto and roasted red pepper pesto as appetizers.....and oysters on the half shell too if you are splurging.
Then with the salmon a bowl of halved cherry tomatoes, small sweet onion rings (whatever sweet you can get out your way....we're still seeing Vidalias here...but maybe Maui are in where you are.) mozzerella pearls, lots of chopped basil kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil and perhaps baby red potatoes quartered and served in either a dill cream sauce or with a garlic-ey butter with lots of chopped fresh parsley. And I think you need some leafy greens....how about romaine with a simple vinaigrette featuring some toasted sesame oil and topped with toasted buttered bread crumbs and toasted sesame seeds.
For dessert you could serve that summer torte that everyone here talks about....with blue berries and peaches....with home made ice-cream if you are still feeling ambitious...otherwise just with whipped cream.

I will be making BLT later today.

So what? BLT is just BLT.

This will be my BLT sandwiches:

I will be using large Green Giant tomatoes from my garden. Guess why the call them Green and Giant? GG is a what they call GWR (Green When Ripe) tomato. A very flavorful, sweet and tomato-y tomato. Very beautiful to look at when sliced. I make the GG even more delicious by putting the slices in the dehydrator to half-dehydrate the slices. The GG slices will be super flavorful and a lot less watery.

I will look for the best bacon to go on the home grown lettuce, tomato and homemade bread.

The mayonnaise will be store bought.

I Know the BLT will be great. I have done this a few times before.

dcarch

I make cheater peach cobbler with store bought pie crust. Add in some raspberries. Serve with ice cream. No one notices the store bought pie crust, they are too busy licking their lips. Fruit and ice cream is always good.