Vegetarian Coming to Dinner - Please help!

[Exotic Mushroom]

So here's my situation - I have (for the first time ever) a vegetarian coming to my home for a dinner party tomorrow. I am at a complete and utter loss as to what to serve.

Here's my menu so far:

Starter: Roasted Garlic Soup with Avocado and Cherry Tomatoes

Main Course: Roasted Tomato Tart(s)? with a salad ?

I'm fairly pleased with the roasted tomato tarts and have made them before to serve as an accompaniment to meat or fish dishes. They taste good and are fairly hearty, but I don't think they are substantial enough to be the whole main course on their own.

I cook them in 4 ounce ramekins if that gives you an idea of the size. I was thinking of serving two to a plate, but that still seems insufficient. I would be happy to serve one of the tarts per person with some sort of vegetable accompaniment, but I don't know what to serve. The main dish of the plate is already vegetable based, so I would feel kind of silly just putting some green beans next to it. Or is that not silly? The tarts have a crust, so I don't know how I feel about serving a starch on top of that.

I have a pretty steep reputation to uphold, and I have purposely avoided having this person to dinner in the past because I didn't know what to do about him not eating meat or fish. I don't eat pasta, so I can't serve that.

What should I do? Just stick two tomato tarts on a plate? Serve everyone one tart plus another vegetable and/or starch?

Anyone with any good ideas for non-pasta vegetarian food please help!

[snowangel]

A quick search on eGullet leads to this topic. There's also Malawry's cource on ECI on Vegetarian Cooking.

[battleofthebulge]

Hiya,

Does this person eat cheese?

I'd serve a feta and cucumber salad, to cut through the richness of the tart.

Or possibly an interesting mixed-leaf salad, with herbs.

Sarah

[Busboy]

I have a good friend who has the audacity to be a vegetarian, and so I feel your pain. Does s/he eat eggs/milk/cheese?

In Patrick Connel's new cookbook he has a spectacular "Napoleon" made with mushrooms and puff pastry that Is pretty easy to make, PM me if you need more details. I'f you're handy with a pasta maker, or can get hold of good thin sheets, you can make a small lasagna or raviolis. My wife and I used to sautee the mushrooms very simply -- salt, pepper, shallots -- and then we'd boils down some cream with a little garlic and rosemary, layering that into lasagne as you might tomato sauce in a traditional prep. The brain takes a moment to get used to the rosemary/mushroom combo, but the mouth takes to it right away.

You might surround the tarts with sauteed chard or spinach, or grill/sautee some egplants and zucchinis. Think olive oil, lemon and capers, thyme.

Souffle? A kick-ass tartelette with greens and potatoes and bround garlic and leeks? Easy to make, and can be made in advance.

Also, just pad out the dinner: salad, cheese course, hors d'oeuvres. It the courses are small, serve a lot.

My experience is that vegetarians are so used to being served lame food by people who don't know or don't care, that your guest will be very happy with whatever you serve.

[munchymom]

What's in the tomato tart? Does it have eggs or cheese? If not, consider adding a protein to your meal - I would do a bean salad as a side. You could also do deviled eggs. (I'm assuming eggs and dairy are okay here.) Another option would be to have hummus as an appetizer (if you're having something to munch before sitting down to table.) I wouldn't add another starch with the main course, I think you're right about that. Maybe have one tomato tart, bean salad, and a green vegetable or a leafy green salad. (I like to make a bean salad with green beans, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans in a vinaigrette dressing - it's tasty and pretty.) You didn't mention dessert - of course, most desserts are vegetarian. Just don't make anything with gelatin in it.

[Exotic Mushroom]

Sarah -

Yes, this person does eat cheese. The salad I was thinking of involved goat cheese, arugula, peppercress, roasted red peppers, and crispy shallots with a basic dejion-balsamic dressing.

I like the idea of a cucumber salad, though.

Thanks for the links, snowangel. I'm pretty committed to my roasted tomato tarts as the main feature of the main course, and now I'm trying to figure out what to pair it with. On the ECI link there was a tomato and zucchini tart with served with chickpeas and a salad.

I like the idea of using chickpeas as a side. I was thinking I would like to use beans, but that the tarts wouldn't pair well with them. But I was thinking about black beans or lentils, which are what I usually make. Chickpeas might have potential.

So, definitely the tomato tarts and a salad.

Maybe chickpeas as well? Does anyone else have any other ideas for something that might complement the tarts plus salad? If I'm serving a salad on top of the tarts does that mean I should not serve yet another vegetable?

[Exotic Mushroom]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Busboy -

I think your suggestion of just padding the dinner with extra course is good one. I guess it doesn't matter particularly if the main course is kind of scant as long as nobody leaves hungry.

I know what you mean about vegetarians being used to eating lame food. I feel so bad for them when I look at restaurant menus and see the ever-present and awful sounding "roasted vegetable tower" that's obviously just tacked on because nobody wanted to think of a good vegetarian entree. I don't eat pasta, so that complicates the situation. Although I think this guy eats pasta of some sort basically every night, so I think he'll enjoy something different.

Munchymom -

The tart is basically roasted tomato halves, thyme, roasted garlic, carmelized onions, and a pastry crust. No eggs or cheese, although there is some egg in my soup and I was planning on putting cheese out for when guests arrive. I think some sort of bean salad is a good idea. Either a medly like you suggested or something with chickpeas.

Dessert is going to be blackberry shortcakes. I wasn't too worried about making those vegetarian. My other half keeps kosher, so I haven't been able to use gelatin in anything at home for about five years. (You'd think I'd get used it, but no. I miss it very much.)

[battleofthebulge]

Hmm.. if I was going for something else a bit starchy I'd probably do couscous, rather than chickpeas. Made with veggie bouillon, maybe with some pine nuts?

For me, I think just serving 2 each with a fabulous salad like you describe would be fine.

Especially if you then go on and have a nice cheese course.

Good luck!

Sarah

[battleofthebulge]

Re: the gelatin, have you tried the vegetarian version? Not sure how well it works compared to the 'real' stuff for complicated recipes but I've used it for a cream cheese mousse.

And apparently there's also a kosher version:

from the Vegetarian Resource Group:

Kosher gelatin can be made with fish bones, and/or beef skins. Contrary to assumptions, it is also considered kosher to use it with dairy products. Kosher law is very complex and the bones and hides used in gelatin production are considered pareve. The general meaning of pareve refers to foods that are neither milk nor meat, and many people assume this means that the product is vegetarian. However, OU pareve certified ingredients can have animal products, such as fish, eggs, and gelatin, in them.

Not sure I understand all that but I guess yr bf does!!

cheers

Sarah

[Exotic Mushroom]

Sarah -

I've used agar agar in some things. It works fine, but I don't like using it as much because it does have some flavor. Normal gelatin just does its job and doesn't have any affect on taste. So I don't really use agar agar that often.

I had never even heard of kosher gelatin! My bf just always said gelatin was a no go. I am absolutely going to seek some out now. Of course, it will mean a big argument about how I don't know anything about kosher, but if I can show him the seal on the box he'll have to accept it! You can't imagine how excited I am about this!

[little ms foodie]

I'd maybe do a different soup?? like a nice potato leek soup done with homemade veggie stock. or a butternut squash soup with cream fraiche.

Also figs are beautiful right now, how about stufffing some blue cheese in a few and roasting them for either an app or to add to a salad.

[JasonTrue]

I assume the roasted tomato tart is a savory egg tart in the style of a quiche; in such a case, a vegetable or a salad would be a fairly standard accompaniment.

I frequently make lots of multicourse vegetarian meals... I think I made 16 or so dishes for one party, including dessert, and there were still people who, upon hearing comment from other guests, said, "oh, he's a vegetarian?"

It seems to me like soup, salad, tart, some mushroom dish, some hot vegetable dish, and available bread would make a fairly complete meal, but for dinner parties, I often add other indulgences, such as croquettes or spring rolls. If other foods are likely to settle lightly, my soups might be heavy, such as something with lentils, canellini or chickpeas, or I might make a lighter soup if other dishes are protein heavy.

When confronted by a low-fiber starch like pasta or white bread or pie crust, you can provide some contrasting starch that has a higher protein or fiber content, like potatoes or quinoa or something like that. Unless the meal requires eating a large serving of the starch, it's not that imbalanced.

Substance comes from grains, beans, tofu, nuts, fiber... If you're serving a fairly balanced meal, there's no reason to worry. I tend to be more excited by having lots of little things to eat than being served some huge entree of "substance."

Vegetarians are often more flexible than you expect. I found that picky meat eaters are harder to cater to than average vegetarians or adventurous omnivores. I remember somebody freaking out because I had a basil or sage pesto on my pizza, and this was a meat eater. If I served something a post-college vegetarian didn't appreciate, I wouldn't hear anything about it; they'd just eat something else.

There are, of course, people who don't eat food for the sake of enjoying the food, but instead think of dining as some sort of medical regimen and list all sorts of ingredients that they are unwilling to eat because of alleged dire health consequences, but I am not that kind of vegetarian, and I don't usually have to entertain that type of guest.

[zeffer81]

As a recent (two years) vegetarian with many vegetarian and vegan friends, I sympathize with all parties. Your menu so far sounds delicious. I usually just tell people not to worry about me--I'll load up on extra salad and apps.

A leafy green salad is a perfect match to your tomato tart. With a simple dressing of balsamic and e.v.., it will be a perfect accompaniment.

I second both the suggestions of stuffed figs (sounds delicious, with i was coming to dinner!) and couscous or chickpeas. You could even make a couscous and chickpea salad with some tomato and cucumber in it. It's a nice, light grain.

Good luck with your dinner. What a gracious host you are!

p.s. None of your food sounds like typical "lame" veggie food.