Kale chips and a vegetarian dip. Only thing that no one will find offensive.
I know people who would be annoyed by a completely vegetarian meal. Really the scenario is a no-win situation.
Moved to Cafe Society (from IMHO).
Sure, but there are things that are more or less common. Having the only choice be pork is probably the worst: vegans, vegetarians, Muslims, Jews, and lot of other-wise meat-eating individuals don’t eat pork. Seafood is probably second: it is out of bounds for meat eaters, and is more commonly an allergen than chicken, turkey, or beef. Things like a strawberry allergy or something are much less common.
I think pasta with a vegan tomato sauce and meatballs on the side is probably the best. The vast majority of people will eat 2 out of three of those. Pair that will a nice salad and bread, and I think most people would be able to have something to push around their plate.
Naw, kale is disgusting, and I can’t eat most veggie dips. And for that matter, a lot of veggie dips contain moderately common allergens, like sesame, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant), and of course nuts.
Seriously, plain white rice is the best bet if you absolutely need to provide calories that almost everyone can eat.
Yeah, it’s really a no-win situation. That’s why I suggested wrapped food that can be given away. That would generate slightly less waste. But any plate of food people didn’t order in advance is going to produce a ton of waste.
I guess you need to decide if your goal is “feed as many people as possible” or “waste as little as possible”, because optimizing one will almost certainly damage the other goal.
Just one course?
Vegan green pea risotto made, with a light veg stock and no wine (sob!), with grilled chicken tenders and grated Parmesan on the side.
More courses?
Vegan butternut soup to start, and a fruit salad for dessert.
bread and fishes.
Seafood is probably second: it is out of bounds for meat eaters, and is more commonly an allergen than chicken, turkey, or beef.
Huh? I’m a meat eater and seafood is not “out of bounds”. I would love some of that salmon mentioned earlier, right now!
Just one course?
Vegan green pea risotto made, with a light veg stock and no wine (sob!), with grilled chicken tenders and grated Parmesan on the side.
More courses?
Vegan butternut soup to start, and a fruit salad for dessert.
I’ll eat at your events! I’ve had truly fabulous vegan butternut soup. And you’re right, not many allergens there.
A lot of posters seem to have overlooked that the OP specifically said, no buffets, meal must be served plated.
I like the sandwich idea, but tried to answer the question before I read onward. Without information on what kind of cooking/storing/serving facilities and manpower were going to be available, I thought it best to be cautious and serve something that wouldn’t be too difficult to make and serve - so, a lasagna with two “hearty” vegetable dishes so that vegetarians/vegans/gluten intolerant people would be able to have a tasty meal too - I was thinking of maybe a cold string bean salad with lots of tasty bits, including hard-boiled eggs, and a vegan-friendly broccoli salad with nuts.
That would make it possible for vegetarians, vegans, gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant, and allergic-to-nuts people all to eat something, as long as they suffered from only one of those restrictions and weren’t picky eaters.
@Filbert, I always try to be sensitive to the needs of people I’m serving food to, but there’s no way to meet the needs of everyone if you can only serve a single meal. I would hope that in such a circumstance, people with special dietary needs would have the decency not to be offended. If you showed that you were “extremely annoyed” because someone who had no opportunity to consult in advance with the diners, and could only serve a single menu, had the audacity to serve a meal that didn’t meet your personal needs, and I were the cook, I’d hopefully be too gracious to show it, but inside my head I’d be “extremely annoyed” right back at you. It’s one thing to expect a restaurant to have a variety of options, including at the very least something vegetarian, but under the OP’s stated circumstances it reeks of entitlement to be upset because you can’t eat what’s served.
I’d go with a Santa Maria style BBQ lunch. BBQed Tritip or chicken, pinquito beans, garlic bread, and a green salad.
There is no way to make everyone happy so shoot for making the largest number of them as happy as possible and that is the best catered meal I know of.
I was once an attendee in a situation such as described by Fairy Chat Mom: business meeting of about 50 to 70 people, with plated food for lunch, and served at tables. The idea was that by serving lunch, nobody had a reason to go elsewhere, and so we would have a working lunch, when we could discuss the things brought up in the meeting that morning. But I wish the organizers had taken the time to consider alternatives, such as a soup-and-sandwich buffet. That would have been doable; the meeting was in a conference hotel, with facilities for preparing pretty much anything. But no, the organizers knew best. Or thought they did.
As it was, we each got one small glass of tomato juice (no refills and no other choice such as a Coke or iced tea, though there was as much water as you could drink), a plate of Chicken a la King, and rolls and butter. Nothing else, and no dessert. The vegetarians were immediately turned off, for obvious reasons. Others of us took one look at the disgusting-looking and evil-smelling mess on our plates, and decided “No way.”
One by one, many attendees had to suddenly visit the washroom, or had to go to their car to get some paperwork, or needed to run an errand, or wanted to step outside for a smoke. I was one such; and not surprisingly, met up with the others who excused themselves for various reasons, in the hotel coffee shop, where we had our choice of burgers, fries, pasta, sandwiches, soup, salads, and other lunch-type meals, and an array of soft drinks. Others headed off to local fast-food joints.
The idea of a working lunch for all attendees, with business discussion, went to hell. I’d guess that half the plates of Chicken a la King were uneaten by those of us who went elsewhere for lunch, and half of those who remained only picked at the meal, leaving their plates still mostly occupied by the unwanted meal. Needless to say, the rolls and butter were very, very popular among those who remained in the conference room.
This is the danger organizers of such business events will encounter if they insist on “plated meals served at tables”: if you don’t serve at least one thing that is agreeable to all, people will leave to find what they want. And you cannot keep them there. If you want to keep them there for a “plated meal served at tables” lunch, then I’d suggest the following:
– SImple green salad, with choice of dressing. The choice need not be complicated; it could be a choice of, say, Italian or Thousand Island, and guests can dress their salads as they like, from boats on the table.
– Pasta, such as spaghetti or penne, with a vegetarian-friendly marina sauce, and grated parmesan for those who want it.
– Rolls and butter.
– A selection of cookies, brownies, fruit tarts, and other goodies for dessert.
– A selection of soft drinks: soda pop, iced tea, juices, and of course, water.
Well, you could give your half chicken sandwich to the guy next to you. But honestly, at least half of my vegetarian friends are used to eating around the meat, so long as it doesn’t touch the stuff they plan to eat. And as someone who won’t eat anything with bell peppers in it, I never get the vegetarian option at a meeting unless it’s described in great detail – just too dangerous. I’m not alone – lots of people have aversions to one vegetable or another, lots are sensitive to alliums (onions, etc.) and nightshade allergies aren’t all that rare.
There’s really nothing that’s “safe” to serve.
At a former job I used to have to arrange catering for groups of 30-40 people on a fairly regular basis. And it’s my opinion, based on experience, that find just ONE thing that can be plated and passed out without a problem is nigh impossible.
In the group I worked for we had vegetarians, one vegan (Jain), Jewish (kosher to at least some degree), hallal, Hindus (no beef allowed) and four people (including myself) with food allergies. The only way to accommodate a group like that is a buffet strategized to have at least two items any one person can eat. Attempts to have a plated meal without making allowances for those who can’t tolerate your first choice is not going to work.
I’ll eat at your events! I’ve had truly fabulous vegan butternut soup. And you’re right, not many allergens there.
Legume allergies are a thing, and peas are a legume. What is the vegetarian soup stock made with? As already noted, nightshade allergies are also a thing, and a lot of vegetarian soups have tomato in them, which is a nightshade.
My allergies to peas, lentils, and tomatoes is a big reason why I am unlikely to ever go full vegetarian. In my own kitchen I can stay safe but almost all vegetarian food in restaurants and buffets are risky for me (outside of things like salad bars where I can assemble my own plate) and I just don’t want another ambulance ride to the ER.
And, again, that’s the problem with something like that - you’re always going to have an outlier like me.
I would hope that in such a circumstance, people with special dietary needs would have the decency not to be offended
While I can sit and NOT eat (rather than risk a bad reaction) that seems to cause a lot of distress in other people. I encountered this only a few days ago at work (again!) when management provided a pizza lunch for everyone. Except I can’t eat pizza (tomatoes). Yep, inevitably a couple people tried to figure out a way to make it “safe” for me to have something. Nope, can’t do it. Not worth the risk. I’m OK with it. As I was involved with seeing the delivery people got paid when they showed up I knew a couple days in advance about it and didn’t ask to be accommodated. My closest coworkers are aware that I have issues, that I don’t get upset if I can’t share in food brought in to work, and don’t pressure me. Others, though, seem to want to “rescue” me.
I don’t expect everyone to accommodate my dietary restrictions. I DO wish more people would simply accept my “I’m sorry, I have a medical issue and can’t have any of that” without asking intrusive questions or trying to “rescue” the situation for me.
It’s a no-win situation.
There is no way to make everyone happy so shoot for making the largest number of them as happy as possible and that is the best catered meal I know of.
^ This. This is the only possible answer. Find something that appeals to a wide swath of society and accept that you will likely have a couple that can’t partake.
@Filbert, I always try to be sensitive to the needs of people I’m serving food to, but there’s no way to meet the needs of everyone if you can only serve a single meal. I would hope that in such a circumstance, people with special dietary needs would have the decency not to be offended. If you showed that you were “extremely annoyed” because someone who had no opportunity to consult in advance with the diners, and could only serve a single menu, had the audacity to serve a meal that didn’t meet your personal needs, and I were the cook, I’d hopefully be too gracious to show it, but inside my head I’d be “extremely annoyed” right back at you. It’s one thing to expect a restaurant to have a variety of options, including at the very least something vegetarian, but under the OP’s stated circumstances it reeks of entitlement to be upset because you can’t eat what’s served.
If you can put a dishes on the table and let people serve themselves from a few sides, fine, but my response was to someone suggesting a ready-filled plate (the suggested antipasto platter), my opinion is, well, don’t do that regardless of the contents. It’s foolish and likely very wasteful- the idea seems to be just throw away what you don’t want.
If I’m told in advance it’s not catered for me, fine, I’ll bring my own lunch, but no, I’m not going to pretend to be grateful if I’m told food will be available but what’s put in front of me is something I have an ethical and environmental issue with, and I’m expected to either eat it, throw it away or try and find someone else to eat it. It’s not Grandma’s house.
Legume allergies are a thing, and peas are a legume. What is the vegetarian soup stock made with?
Legume allergies are quite prevalent, but pea-specific allergies are not as common. Stock would be made with shallots and carrots and olive oil and salt, and yes, I know, allium allergies are a thing. So are carrot allergies. Just like I already knew pea allergies are a thing, as are squash allergies and conditions that make fresh fruit problematic.
It should be fairly obvious my intent was to feed as many different categories as possible an interesting, tasty meal, while sticking to the OP’s plating criterion, not to do what everyone’s admitted is impossible. I’m not just boiling up rice and water, that would be ridiculous.
My menu caters to vegans, kosher and halaal (with correct kitchen setups and food sourcing, of course), the gluten intolerant, paleo, and just ordinary folk. It does not try to catch every allergy because {Avenue Q}Someone’s allergic to Everything!{/AQ}
But, like Broomstick, the people with more unusual allergies, and usually the people with common allergies, are used to not being able to eat the food, and would usually be okay with the “they can eat something later, no one is going to starve” option.
I don’t even have any allergies, I’m just a picky eater. But I know that “there will be food” doesn’t guarantee “there will be food I want to eat.” I sometimes pack a small bag of nuts or a chocolate bar, if I’m going to be stuck without being able to obtain food I have chosen for a while.
If I know in advance who will be there, and their dietary needs, I will try to have an item with protein and an item that is calorie-dense that each person can eat. If you are going to be offended that I have also offered food that you can’t eat, well, then you win. You are the pickiest eater I’ve ever tried to feed, and I give up. Be offended. That’s your problem.
Allium allergies have been mentioned, but there is a disease/medical condition (I can’t think of what it’s called) that is even worse: if you have it you cannot eat onions, garlic, capsicum, or black pepper. IIRC Lynn Bodoni had it.
The first time (many years ago) I met someone with those restrictions I privately thought they were a little crazy, since onion/garlic, capsicum, and black pepper are not botanically related. Honestly, I thought that they had decided “pepper” was a bad thing and conflated chili/bell peppers with peppercorns.
Well, my bad. I learned that there is actually a substance found specifically in all of those foods that is indigestible/illness-causing for certain people - the fact these foods aren’t from the same family isn’t the point.
Anyway, it was a good lesson for me. Just because I don’t personally understand the medical science behind someone’s food restrictions doesn’t mean those restrictions aren’t real. Broomstick’s approach (telling people what she can’t eat and not expecting them to jump through hoops to feed her, but to respect what she says and not try to shove inappropriate food down her throat) is the right one.