Food, food and more food.

We've friends round for supper on Saturday night, and we have promised to make mushroom risotto as there's a bit of an Italian theme to our meals. I've been pondering what to make and I'm on a strict budget so am more limited than normal so this is what I've come up with - it may change.....

Antipasti to start
Peter's bought a selection of cured meats.
Buffalo Mozzarella - sprinkled with my best olive oil at the last minute.
Marinated grilled veg - peppers, courgettes, aubergine (home made).
I might make bread sticks, I might not make bread sticks. I've never made bread sticks before.
Olives from my olive pot.
Home made sun dried tomatoes.
Possibly some squid - blanched and dressed with lemon and parsley or grilled with chilli? Might be too much - hassle and food.
A sprinkling of pomodorini, basil leaves and Belazu balsamic vinegar.

I like to serve my antipasti on big white square platters so that people can eat exactly what they like. I find that if I plate it up, it always looks like far too much food, and I personally prefer the veg to the meat and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Main Course
Fantastic mushroom risotto from River Cafe Blue, I've made this loads of time and it's a joy.
Rocket salad, nice and simple with a little olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Pudding.
This is the problem, I wanted to make Angela Hartnett's chocolate, mint and vanilla semifredo, but I've not got room in the freezer, I've only got a silicone loaf tin which might go a funny shape when full of delicious goo, and it will be about 10 million calories and I'll have to scrounge some mint liqueur from a bar. Apart from all these negatives, I really want to make it, it sounds so delicious and it's properly Italian!
But, Peter came home last night with two massive bunches of rhubarb which has set me in a spin as I quite like it but I don't want to just serve a bowl of sloppy pink stuff nor do I want to faff with pastry. So I think I have a compromise, when we had our last meal at mum's she did a great pudding which was roasted rhubarb which means it's quite firm and not the sloppy gloop you get when it's poached and it was served with a cheats ginger ice cream, which is basically a good vanilla ice cream mushed up with chopped stem ginger. It was delicious and I think it's what I'll do.

Cheese?
Too much? I don't know, everyone loves cheese and we have a fantastic local cheese shop and I'd get a big chunk of one cheese, Dolcelate probably and serve with celery, walnuts and grapes.

As well as all that I've got to go for a run in the morning to undo the vast amount I've been eating lately (pizza on Wednesday, Chinese tonight, all of the above tomorrow and then a wedding on Sunday - I am doomed), the flat if filthy and messy, so that's tons of hoovering, cleaning and sorting. Busy busy busy. At least the food is hassle free!