On Saturday I've got 3 dozen people coming to help harvest my 3 acres of garden vegetables and my orchards

Question

So as a thankyou, and as they are all curry mad and love Indian food, I said I'd cook them an Indian feast
I'm making a huge vat (15lb of meat) of hot beef curry, a huge vat of medium strength lamb and coconut curry and a huge vat of mild korma style chicken curry, baghis - 3 types, aubergine, onion and mushroom varieties, tandoori prawns, pakora's, naan breads and roti, boiled basmati rice and pilau rice. Raita, (yoghurt and cucumber with fresh coriander) various pickles and not forgetting cases of ice cold beer and lager, wine boxes for the ladies if they want, fruit juice, and for dessert, lemon cheesecake or mango kulfi (ice cream) Have I forgotten anything?

Well, I could do a dhal, but there are no vegetarians I know that! popadums i'll do too!

Jack, you should see my garden it's absolutely HEAVING with onions, potatoes, courgettes, (zucchinni) marrows,(squash) carrots, parsnips, swedes, 3 varieties of cabbages, brocolli, and the branches on my fruit trees are down to the ground with apples pears, plums, and i still have blackberries and currants too

Answer 1

Wow, I wish I was coming along! That sounds like a terrific feast. What about a drier dish that people can eat with their fingers if they want - maybe tandoori chicken or shrimp? And you might want to add some sticks of raw veggies, cucumber or celery perhaps, and some grated carrot. Also, don't forget to have plenty of cool water available through the day. It'll be thirsty work. Have a great time and enjoy all the wonderful vegetables you're going to eat this winter!

Answer 2

Yes! and see bottom where food is concerned

1 Is the cost of preparing all this worth the labour?
2 Will the meal be prepaired by an indian?
3 While it is good to return to the old days (I still do it in Jamaica W.I.) will the people you are inviting understand exactly you are askin of them and ont expect money for their labour.
4 If you are going to give them money for ther labour is it vable to prepair such a meal for free?

food
curry goat and roti
darl and split pea roti

PS The work day system you are employing is an african tradition deep ruted in post slavery in the West Indies an is practiced or a far less scale today except in deep rural comunities (Jamaica) It increaces family and comunity bonds though human interaction and reduces the effect of hard labour (This is how people should live) If or when you are in Jamaica I will arainge to have you apart of mine (11 acres) if the timing is right

Answer 3

When I lived in the Indian sub-continent, I always hired an Indian chef, and if I were planning on cooking for 30-40 people in the UK I would do exactly the same, because no matter how good you think your curry is, commercial cooking is one area where a professional will always do better.

Answer 4

what provision have you made for the storage of your harvest?
the preserving of the fruit you describe for example, this will need washing cooking and bottling for just the plums alone
the potatoes will need to be placed in clamps to preserve them through the winter, some of the roots you describe should also stay in the ground until required for consumption
as is the case also with the brassica's
much better idea would be to phone up for a take away curry and watch re runs of river cottage on sky

Answer 5

How wonderful! We had a big BBQ for our friends and neighbors that came to help with our harvest here. It's an annual event, and so much fun! Plus, everyone gets to take a bushel basket of the veggies and fruit home with them.

Answer 6

All sound interesting. i might in all threat do 2 dishes, based on the actuality that there are a dozen people. Omnivores eat greens too. and you furnish an extremely superb set of possibilities. Curry fascinates countless people. because of the fact of its type, and with mushrooms it has that earthy style and texture akin to meat dishes. The wintry climate Veg Cobbler sounds scrumptious. reckoning on the climatic situations, countless people could like that. Peppers full of wild rice... yumm

Answer 7

Can't think of anything you forgot except to invite a lot of us to help.
Are you canning any of the fruits? Veggies? Are the people that help offered any of the harvest or just a meal?
Do you have storage for all bounty?

Answer 8

Fresh fruit from your trees for a topping for the Ice Cream!

Answer 9

A vegetarian option and waffers for the icecream plus a simple flavoured icecream would also be nice, like neopolitan for example.

Answer 10

yes me ! I'm a vegetable picker from way back, I'll help harvest the garden if you feed me the curry. sounds delicious. have a good day.