Here’s a simple recipe featuring my favorite summer fruit: peaches. The coffee cake is easy to make, delicious, moist and lightly spiced…and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

I added an 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg to the batter, and omitted the pecans. The cake is best served the day it’s made, but leftovers are still tasty the next day. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Cake
-Recipe from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips (Fabulous Recipes and Easy Tips) by Ina Garten

Level: Easy
Makes 8 servings

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, Breakfast, brunch, coffee cake, Ina Garten, peach cake, peaches

Give me a spoon and a bucket of this stuff and I’m a happy girl. Okay, maybe that’s a little over doing it. I really do love this recipe, though. Corn pudding (if you’ve never had it before) is a savory baked corn dish that is creamier than cornbread but more dense than a custard. Basically, it’s a delicious corn casserole that pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, and would be a great addition to a holiday feast (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July). Many versions use canned cream of corn but we’re using fresh ingredients in this recipe.

I saved myself a little prep work and used Trader Joe’s White Frozen Corn (almost as good as fresh corn) and it worked perfectly. The fresh basil gives the dish wonderful just-out-of-the-garden flavor, and since I had fresh chives, I added some of them to the custard, too.

For the water bath, I set my 2-quart casserole of corn pudding in a larger pyrex baking dish, set it in the oven then poured hot water into the pyrex dish until it was close to halfway up the side of the corn pudding dish. Be very careful when removing the corn pudding from the water bath after it’s finished baking because you don’t want to splash scalding water all over you (it’s best not to be wearing shorts and flipflops for this part of the recipe).

Let the casserole cool for 15-20 minutes after taking it out of the oven to allow it to firm up a bit. Enjoy!

Sagaponack Corn Pudding
-recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

The basil and extra-sharp cheddar give good flavor without overpowering the delicate corn. If you can’t get fresh corn, use frozen. Makes 8 servings.

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 45 min

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.

Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Tags: baked corn, Christmas, corn casserole, corn pudding, Easter, Fourth of July, holiday side dish, holidays, Ina Garten, Side Dish, Thanksgiving

This recipe for Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins is a definite go-to entertaining recipe. It’s easy, delicious and doesn’t break the bank! The marinade gives the pork great herb/citrus flavor (just be sure to let it marinate for at least 3 hours…longer is even better).

I grilled the tenderloins instead of searing and roasting them in the oven. Serve with summery side dishes like Mediterranean Rice Salad or Green Bean, Red Onion and Roast Potato Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins
-recipe from Ina Garten, foodnetwork.com

Makes 6 servings.

1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it’s just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, dijon, herb-marinated, Ina Garten, lemon juice, pork tenderloin, rosemary, thyme

My first thought was, “Do Italian people really eat this at weddings?” I’m not Italian so it’s an honest question, don’t you think? After a little research, though, I learned that the “wedding” part refers to the fact that the vegetables and meat go well together in this Italian-American soup (hence the marriage). Whatever the history, it’s a great recipe!

Although the broth is fairly simple, it’s the meatballs that are the star of the show here. While they consist of typical meatball ingredients, the addition of Italian sausage and fresh garlic adds a lot of flavor! Baking them in the oven cuts down on prep time, and results in tender and delicious meatballs. I couldn’t fit all the meatballs on one baking sheet so I used two baking sheets and rotated them on the racks halfway through baking.

The store I was at didn’t have fresh dill so I used a heaping teaspoon or so of dried dill. Right before serving, I also stirred a tablespoon of pesto into the soup to bump up the fresh herb flavor. Garnish each bowl of soup with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup
-recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredientsby Ina Garten

Who likes standing at the stove rolling meatballs around in hot oil? Not to mention that I can never get them evenly browned. I discovered that chicken meatballs mixed with good Italian sausage have great flavor and they’re so much easier to make because you bake them in the oven. This rich chicken soup is filled with lots of good things: spinach, pasta, and plenty of those spicy meatballs.

Serves: 8 servings.

For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots (3 carrots)
3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don’t have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: the pasta will thicken the soup as it sits; just thin it with some water or chicken stock.

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Tags: carrots, celery, chicken broth, chicken Italian sausage, ground chicken, Ina Garten, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, onions, parmesan cheese

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten is filled with wonderful recipes and beautiful photographs. Garten, who used to own the East Hampton specialty food store The Barefoot Contessa, shares catering secrets and time-saving tips for making uncomplicated but delicious recipes at home.

A few of my favorite recipes include: Fresh Corn Salad, Szechuan Noodles, Perfect Roast Chicken, Outrageous Brownies, and Coconut Cupcakes, but there are many, many others. Recipes that I’m looking forward to trying are: Lobster Potpie, Indonesian Ginger Chicken, Caramelized Butternut Squash, Maple Oatmeal Scones, and Chocolate Buttercream Cake. The cookbook is broken down into the following chapters: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Dinner, Vegetables, Desserts, Breakfast. 256 pages, published in 1999.

Tags: cookbook review, From My Bookshelf, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook