Ina Garden’s Modern Comfort Food Barefoot Contessa cookbook is filled with all sorts of recipes. There’s everything from crinkled chocolate chip cookies and Boston cream pie to beef stew. When it comes to summer dishes, Garden’s Modern Comfort Food is packed with recipes for long, sunny days. Ahead, check out some of the Food Network star’s Modern Comfort Food summer recipes.
1. Ina Garten summer recipes in ‘Modern Comfort Food’: frozen palomas
Despite Garten referring to these as a great Super Bowl cocktail, her Frozen Palomas are also perfect for summer. “These are so refreshing on a hot summer night,” she wrote in Modern Comfort Food. As for what’s in them, they’re made with a combination of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, tequila, ice, simple syrup, and lime juice.
2. Lobster BLTs
Another Modern Comfort Food summer recipe is Garden’s twist on the classic BLT sandwich. “The thing with lobster BLTs is there’s no cooking which makes it really easy,” she said on Barefoot Contessa.
3. Smashed burgers
Garden’s Modern Comfort Food summer recipes continue with burgers. But not just any burgers. Officially named Smashed Burgers, the cookbook author puts chilled burger patties in the freezer before cooking. Then when the cold meat hits a hot skillet, it creates a caramelized crust.
4. Zucchini with lemon and mint
Next up is the Modern Comfort Food recipe Garden called the “simplest no-cook side dish to make in the summer.” She combines zucchini with lemon, mint, and parmesan for a refreshing, no-frills side. “It’s easy and delicious with grilled lamb or chicken, and you don’t even need to turn the oven on,” she said.
5. Ina Garten’s ‘Modern Comfort Food’ summer recipes: milk chocolate Oreo ice cream
Any list of summer recipes wouldn’t be complete without ice cream. While it’s one of Garten’s grocery store impulse buys (she prefers Häagen-Dazs), she noted in Modern Comfort Food this particular ice cream is worth making at home.
“I actually had to hide this from myself in the back of the freezer so I wouldn’t keep eating it all day!” she said.
It’s also a recipe Garden (virtually) made with Jennifer Garner.
6. Coffee chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches
Looking for a summer Modern Comfort Food recipe that’s the epitome of Garten’s “storebought is fine” philosophy? Stop looking because her Coffee Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches are it.
Similar to her dessert platter that’s all about assembling, Garten takes a few of her favorite storebought ingredients and puts them together. Perhaps best of all, there’s no cooking involved.
Garten puts coffee chocolate ice cream between two Tate’s Bake Shop cookies. Then she coats the outside in toffee bits.
7. Ina Garten ‘Modern Comfort Food’ summer recipes: vanilla cold-brewed iced coffee
In the Barefoot Contessa household, which is located in East Hampton, New York, Garten’s husband makes coffee. But that hasn’t stopped Garten from developing her own coffee recipes. For the summer months, or any time of the year for iced coffee lovers, she has a cold brew version. The recipe is on page 246, according to Garten’s cookbook index.
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