There is no rule that you have to serve cold starters in the spring or summer and nor is there a rule to say you have to serve thick, warming ones in the winter months. However, it can be nice to match them to the seasons as well as to your guests and the main course. You will find there are starter recipes for all seasons if you want to use seasonal produce to make the most delicious appetizers.
For example, if the weather is warm your guests might fancy something light and refreshing and that goes for the drinks as well as the food. If the weather is cold, a hearty soup recipe or something hot, crispy and spicy might be well appreciated.
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Starter Recipes for All Seasons: Hearty Winter Starters
You can serve hot soup in the autumn and winter, to warm your guests up. What about a hearty Scottish broth or a leek and potato soup with homemade croutons? Spicy meatballs are nice in the winter, as are hot Finnish pasties, chicken sate skewers and warm salads.
Serve warm bread with butter on the side, when you serve these warming winter wonders, so that people can help themselves. Not everyone has a big appetite but some people eat more food than others and serving bread and butter is a good way to keep them full without drawing attention to the fact that they are having more than other people!
Some traditional winter appetizers are served chilled. Prawn cocktail is a classic dish at Christmas and a lot of people love to enjoy a juicy prawn cocktail recipe before tucking into their roast turkey dinner.
Pate and toast is another nice winter idea and you can serve the toast hot, warm or cold. Homemade pate tastes amazing and is not difficult to make either.
Starter Recipes for All Seasons: Light Summer Snacks
Starter Recipes for All Seasons: Light Summer SnacksIf you are making food for a summertime event, you might like to make a chilled soup recipe. Vol-au-vents, tartlets, mini quiches and salad recipes are other good ideas for summer events and parties.
If you are leaving food out at a summer buffet, make sure the food will be all right in the heat. Don’t leave delicate fish starters or seafood starters in the sun.
Cheese doesn’t do so well in the sun either, and nor does anything with cream or mayonnaise. If you are dining al fresco, perhaps bring these starters out when you need them and not before.
Starter Recipes for All Seasons: Perfect Snacks for Any Occasion
Most starters are great at any time of the year and you can pick whichever you fancy. As long as you are organized they should be great. First choose what to make, then write a shopping list and buy everything and finally make the dishes well in advance of when you need them if they are make-ahead recipes.
If not, make sure you leave yourself enough time to put everything together before the event kicks off.
If you are serving nuts, olives, cheese, bread and crisps as well as your homemade recipes then you might like to get those out first, so that if people are peckish and your snacks aren’t quite ready to serve, they will have something to nibble on while they wait.