Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Eat Like a Local”

The Set-up: Ina and Jeffrey are in Napa looking for inspiration from local foods.

The Menu: Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Thyme Roasted Marcona Almonds, Napa Spritz, Basil Gimlet

0:25 – Ina and Jeffrey are starting off the trip with a visit to the St. Helena Farmer’s Market. How did I miss this when we were there last month?!?

1:13 – Ina appears to be relatively incognito, but I can see my fellow superfans in the background just barely resisting the urge to ruin the shot and dart over for a convo with the Contessa.

2:36 – Ina has a master plan for their market visit: see what’s really fresh and delicious and let that guide their lunch menu.

3:07 – The resulting recipe is Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta, which sounds A-mazing. My stomach is growling already – I should know better than to watch Ina when I’m hungry.

4:18 – Thankfully tomato high-season is just about here, which means I won’t have to wait 6 months to make this…

5:39 – Ina’s combining the cherry tomatoes and dressing, and I just realized this is essentially a milder version of bruschetta topping - red wine vinegar instead of balsamic, shallots instead of red onion. Brilliant.

9:24 – Finishing touches on the crostini – toasted pine nuts and a sprinkle of julienned basil leaves. Now for the taste test verdict from Jeffrey: he deems it “fantastic.”

10:20 – After that ringing endorsement Ina is off to Addendum, where Thomas Keller’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken is available for take out.

11:15 – Ooh, we’re getting a how-to from Chef David Cruz. Step 1: Brine the chicken overnight. Step 2: Double coat the chicken in seasoned flour and buttermilk. Step 3: Fry!

12:59 – This is how you know you’re the Barefoot Contessa: your fried chicken is already to go when you arrive and it’s hand-delivered by the chef. Oooh la la.

13:28 – Ina delivers the Buttermilk Fried Chicken to Jeffrey who declares it “delicious!” Ina tries to trap him by asking if it’s the best chicken he’s ever eaten, but J is too wily for that. He says it is, except for the one she makes. Well played, sir.

17:34 – The Garten’s are shaking things up (I’m so sorry) with a visit from local mixologist Jon Gasparini for their own private cocktail class.

18:45 – The bar he’s setting up is pretty amazing, more than just a folding table with a tablecloth thrown over it.

19:07 – Ina is making herself right at home in their rental house garden – nipping a few figs here and a sprig of thyme there. But let’s be honest, who wouldn’t contribute an herb or two to Ina’s recipes?

20:42 – Onward to the Thyme Roasted Marcona Almonds. I am officially obsessed with Marcona almonds ever since I sat in the backyard at our friends’ place in San Jose with a silver dish of salt & pepper seasoned almonds and a glass of sparkling wine. Perfect.

21:35 – Ina always cooks so simply, but most of her food has an East Coast vibe to it (natch) and these recipes are so Californian. I love the adaptation.

25:46 – Jeffrey, you’ve been working too hard, so I got you a surprise: a stranger slinging cocktails in the backyard!

26:13 – I realize I’ve lost your trust with that pun a few minutes ago, but I was quite prescient because now the Gartens really are shaking up the Napa Spritz!

27:24 – Don’t get me wrong, I love a fancy drink, but gently clapping a piece of organic lavender between your palms to “release the oils” is where I draw the line. You’re on notice Gasparini.

28:07 – Next, the Basil Gimlet, complete with more herb clapping. PS: Jeffrey is adorably precise with his attention to direction. He’s clearly putting all of his focus on doing everything juuuust riiight.

29:50 – Two strong cocktails down and the night is young! Why do I think things are about to pop off at the Garten manse? Cheers to Napa!

Final Thoughts:
I’ve been trying to cook more seasonally, but I still always have a recipe in mind when I shop. I need to push myself to be inspired from the ingredients first!

Cocktails are pretty much the hotness these days, although I think the “mixologist” trend might be waning. Probably time to up my game in that department.

Was any one else trying to resist talking like the Californians as they watched this episode?

Lessons Learned:
I can’t pretend that Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta requires extensive culinary skills - isn't that part of it's beauty? - but I did learn something from making this recipe.

Balance – I mentioned this before, but there are really minimal ingredients in this recipe, yet the flavor is incredible. I’m sometimes tempted to add more and more to my recipes, but cooking something really simple like this reminds me that the right balance of texture – creamy cheese, crunchy bread – and flavor – fresh tomatoes, salty feta

Knife Skills – The variety of produce and the varied sizes that are ideal in this recipe - minced garlic, small diced shallots, a julienne on the basil leaves – make this a great opportunity to practice your knife cuts.

Read the Recipe – Even with minimal ingredients I still forgot to toast the pine nuts and sprinkle them on top. Thankfully, the pine nuts aren’t as essential as say, baking powder in a cake, but a good reminder to double check everything and make sure nothing is missing!

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Almost definitely. This recipe hinges mainly on whether you have a food processor. I used a 6 cup food processor, a liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, a medium mixing bowl, chef’s knife, serrated utility knife, and medium cutting board. A large wooden spoon and rubber spatula will also be helpful. I cheated a little and used the toaster for the bread, but if you’re doing more than a few pieces then a baking sheet will be a good addition.

The Verdict:
OMG. The ingredients are so minimal, yet the flavors in Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta are off the charts delicious not that you’d expect anything less from Ina. Definitely get the best grape or cherry tomatoes you can – they’re the star here – and ably supported by the salty tang of the feta. These little crostini are delicious on their own, but are transformed into an amazing meal with the addition of a poached egg and a crumble of bacon. Trust me on this – you definitely want to make this recipe.

Pesto Pasta with Green Peas and Chicken | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Pesto Pasta with Green Peas and Chicken** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

When the mid-summer heat and humidity hit (at least the way they do here in New York) my appetite wanes and little and the thought of eating a hot meal is the furthest thing from my mind. While I want something light and fresh with the flavors of summer I also don’t necessarily want to eat salad 24/7 either.

For me this cold pasta dish hits that sweet spot: a happy medium between the clean bright taste of veggies and the substance of a meal that doesn’t feel like I’m missing something. And, as an extra bonus it uses all that great basil that’s growing like crazy at this time of year!

My starting point (surprise!) was an Ina Garten recipe that I then tinkered with a little bit to lighten it up and add a bit more protein. I’m tempted to call the final product something poetic like ‘Viridian Pasta’ because of its varying shades and multiple green ingredients, but in the interest of being direct I decided to go with this more umm, specific title. I’m open to feedback, though…

Pesto Pasta with Green Peas and Chicken (serves 6-8 generously)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds cellentani pasta (like Barilla)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto (purchased, or see recipe below)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 (5.3 oz.) container lemon Greek yogurt (like Chobani)
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 (14 oz.) package frozen baby peas
1/3 cup pine nuts (aka pignoli)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts (aka pignoli)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (1 large bunch)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet skin side up and rub with a light coating of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through according to a meat thermometer. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into small, ¼ inch dice which should yield 2 to 3 cups of cubed chicken. Side aside and continue to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the cellentani in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions (about 10 to 11 minutes) until the pasta is al dente. In the last minute of cooking toss the frozen peas into the pot to defrost and cook. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto according to the directions below.

Next, in the bowl of the food processor, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the lemon Greek yogurt and mascarpone cheese and puree.

To finish toss the cooled pasta and peas with the pesto sauce, then add the diced chicken, grated Parmesan, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Stir until the ingredients are evenly coated with sauce, season to taste, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pesto: (yield: 4 cups)

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and chopped garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute.

Important storage note: This will make more pesto than needed for the recipe and exposure to air will turn it an unappetizing brown. So plan to use the extra right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container with a thin film of olive oil or plastic wrap pressed directly on top to remove air pockets.

Small Kitchen Friendly:

Yes, assuming you have access to a medium-sized food processor. Ours is a 7 cup and it was just right for this recipe, too much smaller and I would have had trouble getting everything to fit. SInce I made the pesto and the sauce one right after the other I didn't even bother to wash the bowl in between steps. I also used one baking sheet, one large bowl (for the cooled pasta & peas and final mixing), one medium bowl (for the diced chicken), a large pot and a colander. Measuring cups, measuring spoons, a chef’s knife, a rubber spatula and one medium cutting board finished the job.

The Verdict:

Mike and I both loved this dinner – the pesto sauce is flavorful without being overpowering and the ‘sneaky’ vegetables and lean proteins make this a recipe that is on the virtuous side but didn’t leave us feel deprived and wishing for a bedtime snack a few hours later. We had this as a main (and only course) but it could easily be a part of a backyard cookout buffet as a side dish too. It makes a ton, so be prepared for leftovers or to halve the quantities.