Get everyone to participate in their own simple but tasty appetizer: cut up some baguette into slices and have everyone toast their own pieces over the BBQ. Have 2 or 3 spreads that they can then pick from: artichoke spead, crab and cheese, smoked salmon and cheese; or what I like, marinate some raisins in rum, when nice and plum mix into some good goat cheese and viola' - a nice spread that is tasty and takes to toasted baguette like a fish to water.
I live at the beach and from experience no crackers!! Perhaps peel and eat shrimp, mini crab cakes or if you don't want seafood crudités and a nice dip. Keep it simple for transport and clean up. Keep it biodegradable!
What else is on the menu, will you have a grill?
Maybe Grilled pineapple cubes on skewers. Mushroom caps stuffed with crab/bread crumbs and Greek seasonings.
For something lighter and cooler and a finger food, maybe rice paper wrappers stuffed with rice noodles (or bibb lettuce), carrot shards, and herbs like basil and mint. (throw some cool tiny shrimp in there too; if shrimp doesn't over lap with main courses) With a thai dipping sauce (lime, sugar, fishsauce, water or sake; a touch of oil; hot pepper flakes).
Or just a thai salad with similar flavor base and herbs. Cool lime and some peppers, and herbs. With a bit of sweet dressing and a salty element such as the fish sauce; depending on the crowd sub soy sauce as some people for some reason don't care for fish sauce.
A good cocktail like a "Pimms Cup" with just club soda, lime, and cucumber spears is good crisp appetizer/drink in warm weather in my book.
And of course the classic shrimp cocktail is always a standard and quite good when done right--if glass ware is acceptable, serve in martini glasses with some bibb lettuce in the bottom and lemon wedges. (for beach you could always get the plastic martini glasses). Heck you could do that with the thai salad and cooled boiled shrimp with lime wedges pre-dressed with a touch of the thai dressing.
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Maybe Grilled pineapple cubes on skewers. Mushroom caps stuffed with crab/bread crumbs and Greek seasonings.
For something lighter and cooler and a finger food, maybe rice paper wrappers stuffed with rice noodles (or bibb lettuce), carrot shards, and herbs like basil and mint. (throw some cool tiny shrimp in there too; if shrimp doesn't over lap with main courses) With a thai dipping sauce (lime, sugar, fishsauce, water or sake; a touch of oil; hot pepper flakes).
Or just a thai salad with similar flavor base and herbs. Cool lime and some peppers, and herbs. With a bit of sweet dressing and a salty element such as the fish sauce; depending on the crowd sub soy sauce as some people for some reason don't care for fish sauce.
A good cocktail like a "Pimms Cup" with just club soda, lime, and cucumber spears is good crisp appetizer/drink in warm weather in my book.
And of course the classic shrimp cocktail is always a standard and quite good when done right--if glass ware is acceptable, serve in martini glasses with some bibb lettuce in the bottom and lemon wedges. (for beach you could always get the plastic martini glasses). Heck you could do that with the thai salad and cooled boiled shrimp with lime wedges pre-dressed with a touch of the thai dressing.