A Feast For A Few

June has traditionally been a time for weddings and grad parties, showers and engagements. We can still have these celebrations but now for much smaller groups. We can still have our feasts and fetes but with a much smaller menu.

Mostly this is the time for weddings and they're usually big, lavish affairs held at wedding palaces. However an old fashioned reception of twenty  or thirty is also a very nice idea. You can even cater it yourself. Years ago, a reception might have only offered sandwiches, something to drink and a slice of the wedding cake. It may seem sparse by today's standards yet it works. No one really wants to fill up on slabs of beef and Hasselback potatoes along with an all you can eat shrimp or sushi bar. Delicate finger sandwiches filled with olive cream cheese and shrimp salad will work just fine. Add roast beef, turkey and ham  for the heartier eaters. If you want salads, then have a chef salad, filled with cold cuts and different veggies and cheeses. As for the cake , you can make one yourself. Amazon sells the Wilton five tier pan set.  The Internet has dozens of recipes for that special cake along with frosting recipes  (try the Two Sisters blog. They have the best flavored frosting recipes). As for decorating , check You Tube or just go with  simple mixed berries or flowers cascading down the side. Bridal showers can also be  in this vein. Simple sandwiches, followed by a cake or better yet  - fancily decorated cupcakes.

Graduation and even engagement parties don't have to be as formal as a wedding. Both can benefit from a table set up with a charcuterie board. This may cause concern for some because of the sharing. The solution is simple. Hand out latex or plastic gloves as guest arrive or put them on the table, next to the plates and utensils.As for the board, arrange slices of prosciutto, Genoa salame and ham. Offer cheeses such as Provolone, Swiss Asiago and Brie with slices of Italian or French bread. Make sure there are extras such as green and black olives along with sun dried tomatoes, marinated peppers and giadiniria, the tart Italian salad. As for dessert, a simple homemade sheet cake would work along with bowls of fresh fruit. You could also go for a barbecue .  Again have a variety of different choices , from beef to veggie. If you have trouble finding beef burgers or your grocery set a limit on how much you can buy, switch to turkey and Beyond Burgers. They taste just like the real deal, especially if they have all the fixings. As for sides, keep it simple, Don't have salads. Think sliced tomatoes and pickle spears instead. You can also grill veggies such as eggplant , zucchini and even tomatoes and serve with a balsamic vinaigrette. As for the dessert, again go for cupcakes, They can be decorated with little 2020 toppers and for the engaged couple, ice their initials into the cupcake's frosting.

There can be feasting and celebrating again, even if it's on a smaller scale. Think simple. It can be a feast but a pared down one.