Choose sides with different jobs
Start with something substantial, such as a bean salad, potatoes or bread. Add something fresh or crunchy, then a sauce or relish if the meal needs one. Different textures make a more interesting table than several bowls doing the same job.
Make the cupboard count
Check for tinned beans, chutney, vinegar, spices and pasta before deciding what to buy. A bean salad can use several cupboard ingredients, while a cabbage-and-carrot salad keeps the fresh shopping list short. Choose recipes around what is available rather than buying every ingredient for a complicated menu.
Share the work clearly
“Bring anything” often produces three breads and no serving spoon. Try “Could you bring one salad and a spoon?” instead. Give each person a clear job and tell them roughly how many people are eating.
Keep a small host checklist
- Put serving spoons beside their bowls.
- Find a separate platter and utensils for cooked food.
- Have a place ready for rubbish and recycling.
- Check the bread, condiments, drinks and ice before the fire becomes the main attraction.
- Keep chilled dishes chilled until you are ready to serve them.
Leave room for the braaibroodjies
If bread is part of the plan, slice the fillings and assemble what you need before everyone starts asking when lunch will be ready. Put somebody in charge of the toasties. It is a real job, despite the enthusiastic queue of unofficial quality controllers.
A table is allowed to be simple
Two good sides and enough food are a perfectly respectable plan. Put your energy into dishes people enjoy and ingredients you can afford. Hosting should leave a little room for the host to eat too.
The Brood table
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