Sarmie anyone?
THEY ARE EASY TO MAKE, ARE HEALTHY AND WILL TICKLE YOUR PALATE
Learn how you can entertain on a shoestring with sandwich platters.
Summer is here, and that often means eating with family and friends, outdoor parties, braais, picnics, church socials, school plays and weddings. And that means serving food, food, and more food.
But if you're not careful, feeding a crowd can be expensive. Sandwich Baron founder and CEO Sally J’Arlette-Joy has many years’ experience in catering, and she dishes out some helpful advice for your menu. She says the trick is to plan well. Food platters offer the best value for money, especially if they are fresh, healthy and tasty.
“The time of day you will be entertaining is a huge determining factor for what you should prepare. There is nothing worse than going to a children’s party at lunchtime and only getting a few finger delicacies to eat.
“If you’re scheduling a function at one of the principal meal times, people expect a full meal,” J’Arlette-Joy says. Schedule your function according to a specific table, which demonstrates the times at which you can get away with light snacks, such as platters.
From 7am to 9.30am, a full breakfast would be appropriate. From 10am to 11.30am light snacks would suffice. Between noon and 1.30pm provide a full lunch, while light snacks would be appropriate thereafter until 5pm. A full dinner is customary between 5pm and 8pm, followed by light snacks and desserts later, she says. “If your gathering is scheduled from 9.30 - 11am, that would mostly fall under the ‘light snacks’ rule. One of our Anytime Platters serves eight to 10 people and costs R289. A Breakfast Platter serves 10 to 12 people for only R350. These are affordable options for entertaining,” says J’Arlette-Joy.
If your party is from 11.30am –1pm, that mostly falls under the “full lunch” rule.
Any time after that, but before the 6pm-8pm slot which falls under the “full dinner” rule, there are a number of platters that would be ideal, such as the Cheese and Biscuit Platter, Chicken Platter and Cocktail Platter. Each feed eight to 10 people.
“Keep in mind which time of day people tend to eat and drink more. So depending on your budget, plan accordingly for this,” she says.
“People tend to eat less of each and be satisfied with smaller bites. This is especially so with desserts, where it is wise to have smaller portions.
“Therefore, for your next party serve up a few platters overflowing with flavour combinations. These easy-to-serve ideas will leave you with time to eat, drink, and be merry yourself, something few hosts ever enjoy,” she says.
“The beauty of platters is that they’re sure hits with everyone, from a child’s birthday celebration to an adult’s cocktail party."
Increasingly, mums and party planners want healthier options, and J’Arlette-Joy says party food doesn’t have to be unhealthy. “Delicious bites can be as good for you as they taste,” she says.
Mums and party planners want healthier options