Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

An Ina Garten recipe.

 

 

This recipe is included in Ina's newest book Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof. Great. The last thing I need is another book; and how can I not put it on my wishlist on Amazon when I have all of her other books...

Ina. Need I say more? Her recipes are always so simple and delicious. I may have said this in a previous post, but hey, it's true!

I whipped this up and brought it to share with my sister last night. It was too hot to have her turn her oven on to broil and toast the baguette slices as instructed in the recipe; the soft bread was still a great vessel for this delectable appetizer.

What a beautiful evening it turned out to be. Just the two of us hanging out in her backyard (it's oh so beautiful!) watching the doves and smaller birds eating from her bird feeder atop a dead weeping cherry tree in her yard - below the tree, sunflowers are sprouting from the dropped seeds. I wish I had a picture to show you. I said to her that I want to grow a dead tree so I can top it with a bird feeder.

This evening at six O'clock it is 92° outside. Way too hot to cook, not to mention I'm flying solo for dinner. The leftovers were perfect with a cold glass of Apothic White. If you have not tried Apothic wines, you are missing out. I was introduced to this wine by our daughter. It is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Moscato, and has a smooth and buttery feel. Their red is just as delicious - and both are inexpensive!

Once again, it was not my intent to blog this recipe (I should know better with an Ina recipe!). I decided to do so while I was preparing my dinner this evening. This is why the tomatoes are not as vibrant in the photos as they were last night.

I did broil the baguette slices and I do like it better with them toasted. Also, I would make the cheese mixture the day before, or as early in the day as you can - it thickens up considerably. However, I recommend making the tomatoes shortly before (up to an hour before) serving to showcase their beautiful colors.

These were perfect on this overly warm evening alongside some leftover cold grilled chicken, and a cool glass of white wine.

Success meter (1-3): 3

I left some extras with my sister and she made a very tasty omelet the next morning.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics
by Ina Garten




Let me start off by saying I would definitely use arugula in this salad as called for in the recipe; I used spinach that I had in the fridge that I wanted to use up. The peppery flavor of arugula would be a nice contrast to the sweet butternut squash. To me the spinach came across rather "flat" in taste and texture.

As for the dressing I did not have cider vinegar - used champagne vinegar, apple juice in place of apple cider, and I would cut the oil by half - all I could really taste is the olive oil. Not sure how much of an apple presence there would be if I had the correct vinegar and cider.

Monica of A Beautiful Mess raved about this salad; so maybe if I had the correct ingredients for the dressing it would have turned out better. This is definitely worth a second try and would look beautiful on the Thanksgiving table!

Success meter (1-3): 2

Make sure your squash is almost ready before

adding the cranberries. They turn out quite

chewy and hard if cooked too long.

The beginning of what I thought would be a great dressing.

Arugula makes for a prettier presentation. 

You can find the recipe at Barefoot Contessa and on Monica's blog.

Book Seventy-Eight: Barefoot Contessa Parties!

by Ina Garten


                    Chinese Chicken Salad

This is the last of the seven books I have of Ina's and the last you will have to hear me say I do love her books for her simple, quick, and tasty recipes. I have yet to be disappointed with a recipe from Ina, nor do I expect to be.

With some leftover chicken from the chicken noodle soup (another Ina recipe!) that I made last night for dinner, I was able to whip this up in even less time than it would have taken to make this salad. To make it a bit more substantial I served it over a bed of greens tossed with some of the dressing.

Success meter (1-3): 3

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