don’t mention sloe… I’m still on the wagon… 
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I would serve thin slices of quiche. It is really finger food for petit apero.
Will do Jane, but not as slices. I make my quiches in small individual tartlet cases, so they look pretty and they are popular 
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Thanks everyone for some excellent ideas. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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chunks of chorizo fried, then boiled in cider
hard boiled eggs halved with a dash of mayo
charcuterie
pate on rusks
rough cut tomatoes on rusks baked for a few minutes
radishes
ham balls with brown sugar glaze
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Quiche pizza cheese straws dips and vegetables to put in them I’d err on the side of too much rather than too little 
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What! No meat for a farmer?
That might be OK up your way, but I don’t think it would be well received down here (Cantal/Aveyron)
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Meat in quiche and on pizza
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We don’t have a pizza oven and our nearest wood-fired pizza place is twenty minutes drive away, so pride would stop me from offering pizza. Actually the only decent pizza that I know of locally is 45 minutes away in Rodez and by coincidence, we’re having lunch there tomorrow. Accueil - Pizzeria des remparts
But more importantly, for me it wouldn’t matter whether the farmer knew the difference or not. My maxim when interacting with the French and food is offer what is the best that you know of (but don’t brag about it)
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We like most things. We are probably even more interested in talk thsn we are in food though. Or at least as interested.
I find when doing apèros that the saucisson is what gets the most discussion (and consumption) followed by brochettes d’aigulettes de canard and rillettes d’oie on sourdough toast .
We offer crudités too, but most end up in tomorrow’s soup.
Your French is better than ours, so we try to show our understanding of French culture through our understanding of French culinary values. Most of our neighbours shop at Adi or the Intermarché and we wouldn’t wish to embarrass them, but we do always serve good stuff from local producteurs and I think (hope!) it’s appreciated - though part of me thinks they’d eat and drink anything.
By contrast when we have our monthly lunches with our very cosmopolitan middle class French friends in nearby wealthy Figeac, each item that people have brought for the several course meal is appraised and praised. But importantly, again people aren’t trying to impress, they just bringing good stuff! And I think that’s a simple useful maxim whether its an apèro or a lunch or a diner.
,
And if you don’t know what’s ‘good’ ask for help from the person who’ selling it.
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Errr I am a French person born a French person I wouldn’t find it at all appropriate to compare my French and yours, because it is my native language when I say we are probably even more interested in talk than we are in food I am giving you a tip about French culture obviously we are happy to eat nice things but talk is life, we do talk about food obv too.
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But do you know as much about what to offer a French person to eat???
Personally I’d offer exactly what I’d offer anyone else (with allowances made for any Muslim, Jewish, vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerant etc etc etc neighbours) !
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One thing I have noticed when invited for apero by the French is that they are often served as courses rather than all out at once. So there might be a couple of things on the table and you are thinking “Is that it?” when suddenly a tray of vol au vents arrives, warm from the oven, maybe a cold plate next, and then little hot sausages. They like chutney. Round here home made liqueurs are produced at the end, sometimes with the macerated fruit they were made from on a saucer with a teaspoon. I agree with Vero that it is as much about talking as eating.
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Oh so good eg pruneaux mi-cuits soaked in vieille prune 
Help please. Neither of us drink beer so have no idea what to buy. What would be a “nice beer” that I can find easily in a supermarket?
Thanks as always.
are you sure he drinks beer??? personally, I wouldn’t buy it in specially… be yourselves…
That would be just cruel! 
We’re virtually vegetarian non-drinkers and from our experience eating out vegetables are the last thing to be provided in the sorts of quantities we enjoy and to be mean with the alcohol is not kind. We have dear French friends who serve a different wine with every (largely meat) course and then expect us to sample the ancient Armagnac at the end of the meal. Going round there for a meal is an endurance test and I think they feel the same when they come to us. We’ve discovered the best solution is afternoon tea with Black Forest gateau.
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Ha ha… you know what I mean… and I’m not suggesting you be “mean” with alcohol…
This will be a first time for you, surely, so unlessyou know he enjoys a particular drink… you’re just buying stuff for the sake of it… and it could be a total waste.
Over the years, we’ve enjoyed aperos of all sorts…
with the chasse, local farmers, neighbours, gentry… et al… 
Sometimes, it’s only been a choice of fruit juice or sparkling wine… sometimes it’s been more like the lounge bar at the local pub… but it’s always enjoyable…
and when we return the hospitality… they enjoy what we offer… (must do as they come again…)
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