gfunkdave

We're going to be with friends renting a place in France in a couple weeks and I'd like to have a few ideas in head of things to make for group dinners. The group I'm with will want things like grilled meat and some kind of vegetable assortment, along with cheese and pate (which will be easy in France of course hehe). But what are some ideas for something perhaps a little more involved than just steaks or chicken on the grill, and yet still kid friendly?

gaobest

Pasta

JBord

It may depend on what part of France and what time of year, but if you're thinking about doing some real cooking, why not try some French classics? At least you'll know you can get good ingredients . Some ideas that aren't terribly difficult:
Coq au Vin
Gallettes - mushroom, bacon and cheese, or even a fruit gallette
Beef Bourguignon or Cassoulet (my favorite) are really winter dishes and I assume you'll be there in the summer or fall.

You eliminated several of my favorites when you wrote "more involved than just steaks" so that's all for now.
Sounds like a great trip.

LapLap

Pain de courgettes is delightful and generally a hit with children.

I’d want to keep things simple. You might need to finish up a load of leftovers at the end of your trip, and there is no easier meal for lots of people that lets you do this with almost anything than a Japanese curry.

When I’m in Spain for August I tend to do what I do at home in London but with Spanish ingredients and a Spanish twist and that’s make a series of vegetable side dishes/pickles with what I pick up at the central market. That way I can supplement ready made foods from local shops and take-home caterers, perfect when visitors come but it’s too hot to cook (I get these side dishes made up in the mornings). In France you should have lots of options, including the excellent Picard chain.

Examples of what I mean might be:
A pile of Julienned cucumbers with ribbons of sliced ham seasoned with a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, a couple of tablespoons of vinegar, a teaspoon or two of sugar and a tablespoon of sesame (or olive) oil. Ideally sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

A couple of bunches of radishes, cleaned and sliced in half. Sprinkle with 2% of their weight in salt, let them sweat for half an hour. Rinse and drain and season with a drizzle of soy sauce, a little vinegar and some lemon zest.

Tomatoes chopped and tossed with herbs of your choice (I love them with mint when it is hot) and a little oil. Sprinkle with salt just before serving.

Coleslaw (although I can think of dozens of ways of using cabbage)

Basically “salades” with the original meaning: salted things.

bensyd

Make your own pizzas are great with groups like that.

You can't beat a lamb shawarma done on the BBQ. It takes a while but is worth it. Make the tahini sauce, a few salads and some pita bread.

gfunkdave

These all sound great. BUt I'm also on board with steaks, JBord !

JBord

Good idea. And a good chance to experiment with some local ingredients on the pizzas.
But it made me think, depending on the rental unit, there may not be an oven available, or it may be very small. That puts several of the dished mentioned upthread at risk.

Since the OP mentioned a grill, I'll also add sausages. We recently found a local butcher shop that makes their own, and discovered a "Toulouse" sausage, which is made with garlic and red wine. I'm not a Francophile, but would guess there are lots of regional sausages there, just as with wines and cheeses.

bensyd

Toulouse sausage is wonderful. To be fair, as Anthony Bourdain said, meat in tube form is hard to beat. Diot and Montbeliard are worth trying if you see them. If you see andouillette, hmmm....turns out pig's colon smells a lot like you'd expect a colon to smell.

A few years ago mum had her 70th birthday and took a bunch of friends and family over to France. The local markets in France were fantastic. Heaps to see and try.