I was thinking a salad similar to your first, but slightly more mainstream. Barefoot Contessa Greek Salad. So delicious, easy and can be elegant or casual.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/greek-salad-recipe.html

Fresh tomato and orange salsa? With chips.

Or salted caramel brownies?

Heat won't bother a nice Tapanade! I'd serve with some good crostini. Mrs´ Lilien TAPANADE Recipe: 1 whole jar of bleu cheese stuffed olives
along with some of the juice, A handful of capers + a handful of Italian
parsley - Next add the zest and juice of one lemon - toss in a fistful
of toasted pine nuts, season with s+p - then douse with enough olive oil
to aid in the velvety ingredient binding. Put the lid on your processor
or blender.

Or make some fresh guacamole and serve with tortilla chips. Always a winner!

Roasted corn, sauteed grape tomato halves, toasted/buttered/salted pecan halves, sauteed diced onion, seasoning. Lots of butter with all the sauteing.
I don't have exact amounts but it always gets raves. I brought it to an art council meeting recently and and had 6 requests for the recipe.
Anyway, it has no cheese and is very good at room temperature, doesn't congeal, melt, etc.
I will try to put together a recipe but i can't do so right now.

Bumblebeez, would that be considered a salad? It sounds interesting, although heavily caloric!

I think the tomato and orange salsa with blue corn chips is a colorful and refreshing take on an old favorite. Or you could do the skewers with a mozzarella ball, grape or cherry tomato and basil leaf. Mozarella holds up pretty well.

Did you see the recipes with fresh cherries in the Times a few days ago? Maybe make individual tiny tarts with frangipane and one cherry in each? Yum!

This is the absolute best potato salad I've ever had because it's delicate, not gloppy (mayo-heavy potato salads) or greasy (German). It's light, and the red wine vinegar gives it a perfect tang.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/red-potato-salad-recipe.html

No not a salad, kswl, it is served hot but tastes good at room temperature.
I buy roasted corn at TjJs so it's easy.

Here's a refreshing dip made with hummus, tomatoes, cukes, olives, feta, etc. It's delicious and a bit different. I made it last weekend and it was a big hit!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2015/06/greek-7-layer-dip.html

I have to go to a mini reunion and am bringing an antipasto platter. Not sure what all is going on it yet, but I figure it's good to bring as there's something for everyone...meat eaters, vegetarians, GF, lactose intolerant...you name it. And everything on it will be happy to sit at room temperature....salami, cheese, grapes, olives, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, baguette, bread sticks, etc.

I think that mango salad sounds delicious! Champagne mangoes are my favorite. Not sure what's appropriate for a formal pool party, but a couple other made-with-mango choices might be salsa or a black bean salad.

Muffuletta made with good artisan bread. I make large round loaves, and cut in wedges--the size of wedges depends on how many other choices are offered. They're always best when made ahead and 'squashed.' :)

I am thinking maybe one or two types of interesting salsas and fresh made tortilla chips. That's minor enough that is doesn't interfere with a menu. In the meantime, I am making some of these other things for ME! Yum.

Cindy, the magno salad I mentioned is excellent, easy and delish. I had it at a Jean Georges restaurant. but how easy!

These cream cheese stuffed raspberries are so pretty, and delicious.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/one-bite-cheesecake-stuffed-raspberries/

If you top them with a blueberry, they look very festive/patriotic, and adorable!

I'll be doing something similar to Annie and taking antipasto skewers to an upcoming pool party. I was also thinking of making these peanut butter cups but I don't think they'd make it out of the house!

I may try those pb cups....I have a gf visiting who is almost zero carbs and those may please her.

Not at a pool party though, I think that'd be a mess!

Back to the drawing board. I emailed the host and asked if they'd rather i bring a dessert or app, and they said dessert.

Desserts! Yum! Any kind of bundt cake can be sliced up for easy serving. My Harvey Wallbanger cake is always a hit, but it does contain alcohol. I've also made things like the lemon tarts. Cookies and brownies are always a hit as they are finger food. You can go fancy with cup cakes, e.g., there are recipes for tiramisu cupcakes or creme brulee cupcakes. We used to make petit fours by cutting up sheet cake into squares and frosting and decorating them individually. Used to take time, but it was fun to do, and easy serve. I've made key lime tart which is more like a lime flavored cheese cake, (drizzle the crust with melted chocolate first for a real kick) but you could also make key lime tartlets done in mini muffin cups with phyllo dough for the crusts.

How many people?

If the desserts are to be brought out after the supper buffet (and refrigerated inside) you could make strawberries romanoff. Light, pretty and delicious! There are lots of recipes and knock offs. The best use only a few ingredients (including either grand marnier or cointreau).

A friend of mine, who doesn't cook, went to a similar event once and asked if I'd make a dessert for him to bring. I bought a bunch of those small angel food cakes, like the muffin/mini/personal cake size, cut them up into 2" squares, made a ganache with dark chocolate, dipped each square into the ganache so about 1/2 the square was coated in chocolate, refrigerated them, then set them on a platter with strawberries.

When he got back from the event, he showed me the platter…empty with finger prints where they lapped up the excess chocolate, and told me it was the first to disappear.

How about watermelon fruit cups for a healthy alternative - see this pic

http://www.hdwallpapersbot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Watermelon-and-strwberry-cut-pieces.jpg

Or just fruit salad served in a shaped watermelon. Maybe a side of whipped cream combined with cream cheese and a little bit of sugar.

great suggestions, as always! It's like having a staff!

Gotta run, having our own party today --- end of school, a zillion people.

thx!

I like finger foods for that kind of party. So I'd go with cookies or brownies or chocolates.

seems like desserts aren't touched as much, esp in the summer... and esp at adult 'pool parties' (at which adults generally don't swim, ime!! :(

'Mexican salad' is a great dip for tortilla chips- basically is chopped red onion, fresh tomatoes, fresh corn off the cobs and black beans with some olive oil and lime juice and garlic...

guacamole is always a big hit...

have a recipe for cauliflower 'potato' salad which is different and very good...

sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil and balsamic is always good at outdoor parties...

Don't know if you are still looking for dessert- but I do like the idea of fresh fruit--------if you take any of these- strawberries, cherries, cantaloupe chunks, honeydew, watermelon, orange, etc..........and put them on skewers (like the long wooden ones)- it looks great- doesn't spoil- and is so appetizing and insanely simple. Someone had brought this to my house, and I guess I don't get out much lol but I thought it was fantastic. She said her young kids loved doing it so you know it's simple. I have since done it a few times and it is always really well received.

I also have a recipe for blackberry tartlets if you'd like - it uses a store bought dough tho I can't remember what kind that you place in mini muffin tins and bake. Then you cook the blackberries with sugar until they break down, out into the tartlets and top with whipped sweetened mascarpone cheese. Small enough to easily handle, pretty to look at and yummy. Always a hit wherever I take them. If anyone wants the recipe, I will post it. I also make a strawberry Nutella pie that could be adapted into the tartlets. Bake the tartlet shells, add a drop of Nutella while warm, top with sliced strawberries and a dab of the mascarpone cream. The pie is fantastic so I'm sure it would work in tartlets which would work better for an outdoor party.

FYI, I made the chocolate PB cups Decor Hound posted and they were good, GF was happy, but I found they tasted more of coconut than of chocolate, of which I'm not a fan. But they were good considering how healthy they are. The other thing I should've done was contain the pb to the middle and let the choc seal the outside, as, I had it as a layer and the pb doesn't freeze so when you bite in, the pb kinda squishes out. But I was thinking I could probably do something similar with just melted choc and pb to make my own "reeses". If I use the 84% cocoa chocolate, they wouldn't be too unhealthy...

Good to know about the layering Annie. Thanks for posting that. I was going to make some this weekend to test so I will also do what you mentioned. I may also try doubling the cocoa powder and see if that balances out the flavors a little better. With that said I had also been thinking of making a batch using a coconut center and garnishing with an almond on top instead ( like mini almond joys) so those may turn out better.

Also I would love that tartlet recipe 4kids4us. Thanks!

Barefoot Contessa or Bobby Flan's Orzo salad's holds up very well for Pool parties and are delish!

4kids4us ----I love those waffle cones with fruit, they are so cute!

I'm a simpleton, in many ways, but at a summer party I love perfect fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, and nectarines) or cut up watermelon. More often than not, desserts are chocolate and I don't eat that so I like if a simple, fresh fruit option is provided. Basic enough to be classic, colorful, tasty, what's not to like?

The only downside is you do need a bowl and utensils.

The waffle cone/fruit thing is a great idea! I'll have to remember that.

Blog hopping this afternoon. Susan used to post on the Cooking forum. A few of her recipes have become T&T for me.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

CindyMac - that recipe looks really good so I've just printed it off to try over the summer. My niece grows rhubarb and I walk her dog for her - I see a trade coming up. Thanks

Thank you all, again.

I ended up making 6" fruit skewers as suggested above, since the fruit is so wonderful now. Yum! I even added some mint leaves in there because it looks gorgeous. I also brought a little dip of sourcream, coconut and apricot preserves in an iced bowl. Truth is I made those because that was what I wanted to eat, and good thing, because surprisingly they did not serve fruit! I also made a basket of snicker doodles, which were a great hit. My host told me he had one for breakfast today.

I am making Bumblebeez salad for dinner tonight, and Id love 4kids tart recipe.

And we have an event midweek where i am going to try to making the waffle cones --- how do you make sure they do not get soggy?

PS even a humble snickerdoodle can dress up for party

Update on those PB cups above... I finished them off over the next couple of days and they definitely improve with age...less coconut flavor and more chocolate. In fact, I'm making them again, right now! Yum!

mtnrd, your basket looks lovely and your fruit skewers sound delish!

Thanks Annie, it was yummy and now I am getting hungry reading about it!

I made Bumbleeez "salad" above, but I served it over arugula. Delish.

I made the waflecones with fruit, too. You don't need to worry about the fruit making things soggy. They don't last long enough! I used white chocolate for mine btw, and mixed berries w nectarine

Tibbrix, I have been meaning to thank you for pointing me to the potato salad recipe (upthread) from Paula Dean. I made a half-recipe and served it with salmon to a friend who loved it. That potato salad improves with age. It's very vinegar-y on day 1, but as the vinegar absorbs into the potatoes, it gives them a nice tang.

I'm so glad you and your friend liked it, graywings, and thanks for letting me know. Nice to have a potato salad that isn't gloppy or greasy!