Dimitri replied to Ginny:
Of all the replies, I think this one was the best. Others have suggested asparagus or grilled vegetables, but if you're already serving the artichokes, this strikes me as a bit of overkill. If there will be more than eight guests or so, then maybe add the other vegetables, but as it is, I'd stick with the menu that Dimitri gives.
You haven't given much in the way of clues regarding the characteristics of the barbecue sauce you intend to use, and it can make a BIG difference in what accompanies it well. Take note of Dimitri's comment about matching the barbecue sauce to the cole slaw dressing: If your sauce is spicy, you'd want a creamy dressing; if your sauce is sweet, you'd want a vinegar-based dressing.
Shelly UpdateThe pets don't seem to have any PTSD. All they know is, they got to go outside, they got to meet new people, they got to ride in the car, and they...
I'd consider adding the potato salad anyway, just because potato salad is usually *expected* at barbecues. Yes, it's a bit on the heavy side, but I'm buttuming that your guests aren't going to be *forced* to load up on it. If you Google in this newsgroup, you'll find plenty of potato salad discussions. As with the cole slaw dressing, you'd want to pick a potato salad recipe which complements the barbecue sauce. You could also put out a plate of buttorted pickles; I think that barbecue and pickles go together well. And don't forget lots of squishy white bread.
Bob
