Musings: Greek Panzanella

With so much peak-of-the-season produce around us, it’s the perfect time to try Ina’s Greek Panzanella.

We’ll be looking for your post about it by Saturday, July 31.

So, will you be enjoying it as a meatless meal or a summery side? Making any substitutions? What did you think of it? You know we can’t wait until the 31st to find out.

Musings: Blueberry Muffin Extravaganza!

Since Ina has published two recipes for blueberry muffins, Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins and Blueberry Streusel Muffins, we thought it’d be fun for everyone to have their choice of trying one of these recipes or making both! Who can have too many blueberry muffins?

Please post these by Saturday, July 31.

And feel free to use the comments section for any baking questions or to discuss your plans for these muffins. Are you going to substitute other berries? Will you be picking your own, you lucky thing?

What are your plans?

July Recipe Choices

I don’t know about the rest of you, but it is H.O.T. here in the Northeast…but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to turning on my oven for a great recipe here and there.  I think you’ll really enjoy these recipes even if the oven is required for one of them!

A couple of things to note:

1. For July, August, and September, we’re going to keep the posting day as the last day of the month.

2.  I’ve had trouble contacting people for the second recipe of the month and since it’s so late, I’ve gone ahead and chosen this one.  I hope you all don’t mind!

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Maria of Close to Home

has chosen Blueberry Muffins (Coffee Cake or Streusel – recipe below)

which can be found in BC Family Style pg 174 and Back to Basics pg 244, respectively,

and should be posted by Saturday July 31st.

Since Ina has two blueberry muffin recipes, I thought it would be fun to post both of them; you can make one or both.  If you make both, we’d love to see one comparison post that includes both recipes.  Similarly, if you’ve made one of these recipes in the past and make the other this month, please write about your experience with both recipes in your post.

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Tara of Smells Like Home (by default)

has chosen Greek Panzanella

which should be posted by Saturday July 31st.

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

For the Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in to a large bowl and blend with your hands.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing  just until blended.  Fold the blueberries into the batter.  Don’t overmix!  With a standard (2 1/4″) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
3. For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces.  Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly.  Spoon about 1 tbsp of the streusel on top of each muffin.  Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Musings: Scalloped Tomatoes

Here’s our other June recipe, Ina’s Scalloped Tomatoes, from the “Farm Stand Food” episode. Sounds like the perfect side to celebrate the first days of summer!

The discussion is open!

Musings: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Since we’re honoring the lazy days of summer, you have all month to make and post Ina’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Will you be making it for a special occasion, like Father’s Day breakfast? Are you going to try to lighten up the recipe or change the flavor?

Spill!

June Recipe Choices + Some Small Changes

My apologies for posting June’s recipes so incredibly late!  I realize this is the day before the 2nd Thursday of the month but I’ve decided to relax the posting requirements for the summer months (through September).  I’ve also decided to close membership to new members (as of today) for the summer months (also through September).  I’d like to get the blogroll back in order and I’m going to need some time to do this…time, which seems to be escaping me these days.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

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Gwenn of Cooking in Pajamas

has chosen Sour Cream Coffee Cake

which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! on page 37

and should be posted by Wednesday June 30th.

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Josie of Pink Parsley Catering

has chosen Scalloped Tomatoes

which should be posted by Wednesday June 30th.

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Musings: Grilled Herb Shrimp

After all of the comfort food and cookies we’ve made, it’s time to try one of Ina’s lighter recipes: Grilled Herb Shrimp. We’ll start posting this one on Thursday, May 27.

So, what do you think? Is this one a keeper?

Musings: Spring Green Risotto

If you were a BB member when we made Ina’s risotto cakes, you KNOW how delicious her risotto recipes are. But what about this one? Have you tried it before? How did it turn out for you?

We’ll start posting her Spring Green Risotto on Thursday, May 13.

But first, let’s discuss!

May Recipe Choices

Happy 2nd Anniversary Barefoot Bloggers!!

Thanks to each one of you who make this group as great as it is!!

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Kimberly from Indulge & Enjoy

has chosen Spring Green Risotto

which can be found in Back to Basics on page 147

and should be posted on Thursday May 13th.

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Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

has chosen Grilled Herb Shrimp

which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! on page 138

and should be posted on Thursday May 27th.

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And the winners are…

Congrats to #19 (Tara of Sunflower Living) and #16 (Gwenn of Cooking in Pajamas) on the comment list!! Ladies, please take a minute to email me (barefootbloggers @ gmail dot com) your mailing address and I will drop your recipe journals in the mail this weekend.

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Here is what Tara and Gwenn had to say about the questions I asked last week:

If you could spend a day with Ina Garten, what one question are you dying to ask her?

Tara: “For my question, I don’t think I have a particular one. Just some chit-chat with lots of questions that would pop into my head about her recipes, travels, career experiences, etc.”

Gwenn:  “What is your favorite restaurant food, that you dislike making for yourself because it is too labor intensive, or you just can’t get it as good as their version? Also, what is your favorite New York restaurant?”

How would you want to spend the day?

Tara: “I would love to spend the day visiting some of the fun shops she features on her show and meeting some of the regulars that visit her kitchen.”

Gwenn: “I would love to spend the day touring her gardens, her kitchen and her favorite spots in the Hamptons (Ina’s insider tour of the Hamptons).”

What would you request to make with her?

Tara: “I would love to cook a simple, picnic meal with her to take to the beach. Perfection.”

Gwenn: “I cannot even begin to imagine what I would want to cook with her. One of her amazing soups, or her Outrageous Brownies or rugelach. I’d also love to help her test a new recipe, or teach her one of my recipes!”

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Musings: Jam Thumbprint Cookies

We’ll start posting this month’s second cookie recipe, Ina’s Jam Thumbprints, on Thursday, April 22. Ina recommends raspberry or apricot jam, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing some experimentation here. Anyone using homemade jam? How good would that be?

Musings: Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

It’s cookie time! Our first cookie recipe this month is Ina’s Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies, which we’ll be posting Thursday, April 8. What did you think? Any baking issues with these?

April Recipe Choices + a Giveaway!

Spring is springing!!  Take advantage of these two ‘fabulous’ Ina recipes to add to your cookie repertoire and let us know what you think in the Musings posts or on the group’s Facebook page.

In addition to being excited about two cookie recipes this month, I’m totally stoked about announcing our first giveaway!  Random House, Inc.,  the publishing company of Ina’s cookbooks has offered up two copies of The Barefoot Contessa Recipe Journal which is set to be released on April 6th.  This giveaway is open to members of Barefoot Bloggers who are on the blogroll as of April 1st.  In order to enter your name, please leave a comment on this post answering the following questions:

“If you could spend a day with Ina Garten, what one question are you dying to ask her?  How would you want to spend the day? What would you request to make with her?”

Post your comment by 5pm Eastern on Tuesday April 6th.  The winners will be announced here on the blog on Thursday April 8th.

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Leslie of Lethally Delicious

has chosen Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

which can be found in Back to Basics on page 214

and should be posted on Thursday April 8th.

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Cassandra of Foodie with Little Thyme

has chosen Jam Thumbprint Cookies

which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Family Style on page 208

and should be posted on Thursday April 22nd.

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Don’t forget to enter the giveaway with your comment by 5pm Eastern on Tuesday April 6th!

Musings: Caesar Club Sandwich

Did you see Ina make this sandwich a few weeks ago? It looked like a “wow.” Definitely not the same old chicken sandwich.

We’ll start posting our versions on Thursday, March 25.

So, what did you think of it? Are you making any substitutions? Going whole hog with the anchovy paste?

Let’s hear it!

Musings: Individual Meat Loaves

Have you tried Ina’s mini meat loaves? We’ll start posting them on Thursday, March 11.

Will you be trading the ground chuck for ground turkey? Are you interested in a vegetarian substitution?

Let’s discuss!