The Ina Garten Dishes We'll Be Making All Summer
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When it’s hot — and we mean 90-plus-degrees hot — the last thing you want to do is eat a heavy meal. Instead, we turn to crisp, fruity salads, light garden pastas with fresh veggies, seafood and citrus-based dishes. Oh, and don’t forget the drinks, from iced coffee to cocktails. Whether you’re shopping at the farmer’s market or pulling produce from your own garden, it’s the best time of year for cooking, and who has the best summer recipes? Food Network star and cookbook author Ina Garten, of course.
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Here are the summer dishes — made with fresh, seasonal ingredients — from Garten we can’t wait to make.
Vanilla Coffee Shakerato
Cold, frothy, sweet, and strong, these Vanilla Coffee Shakeratos from Garten’s cookbook Go-to Dinners are the most refreshing way to start a hot summer day.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Real Margaritas
We fully believe that margaritas are the best summer drink, but you have to make them right, which for Garten means using fresh citrus juice. The difference between this and bottled margarita mix will blow your mind.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake
Sweet summer blueberries are the star of this ricotta breakfast cake. Make it with freshly picked berries if you’re lucky enough to have a bush in your garden or in the woods nearby, or use fresh blueberries or frozen wild blueberries from the store. Either way, it’ll start your day with a bit of sunshine.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad
On days when it’s too hot to cook, whip up this nutritious, flavorful, and fresh chickpea vegetable salad. Fresh parsley, basil, and mint give it a refreshing herbal taste, and chickpeas and feta cheese add protein. Don’t forget the pita chips for dipping!
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Roasted Summer Vegetables
Make the most of your summer farmer’s market or garden veggie haul with Garten’s technique for perfectly roasted summer vegetables. When produce is this great, you don’t need to make things complicated.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Strawberry Country Cake
Ina Garten’s strawberry county cake is like a jumbo version of strawberry shortcakes. It’s perfect for summer birthdays, garden parties, barbecues, and more.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Cacio e pepe asparagus
Now that asparagus season is in full swing, it’s the perfect time to whip up this summertime favorite. All of that cheese ensures your kids will actually like this one too.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
S’Mores
Of course, no summer is complete without roasting some marshmallows and whipping up some delicious s’mores. Ina’s s’mores are really good because she makes her own coconut marshmallows!
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa
Summer garden pasta
Garten shared this delightful video on Instagram two years ago, and we’re still all about this light, refreshing and incredibly simple garden pasta salad. It calls for just eight ingredients: angel hair pasta, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Shrimp salad
This isn’t your grandma’s summer pasta salad. For starters, swap the pasta for shrimp, and mix with vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon, mayo, dill leaves, red onion, celery and more.
Get the recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.
Bay scallop ceviche
Even if you’re slightly intimidated by scallops, this bay scallop ceviche recipe is definitely approachable — and easy to prepare. Because no cooking or grilling is involved, it’s very important to buy fresh scallops. Toss the scallops in lime juice and salt, and let it sit at room temperature for one hour. Then, mix with the rest of the ingredients, and you’re ready to eat.
Get the recipe from Ina Garten/Today.
Corn & avocado salad
You can never have too many salads over the summer, and this one is both easy to make and great to bring to a potluck as a side dish. Be warned, though: The minced jalape?o peppers give this corn and avocado salad a tiny kick.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Broccoli with bow ties & peas
Pick up fresh broccoli from the farmer’s market this weekend and pair it with bow-tie pasta and peas. The secret to this recipe? Cook the pasta in the same water you used to cook the broccoli.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Greek mezze platter
Entertaining friends? Prepare this Greek mezze platter, which includes herbed feta, red peppers, grapes leaves, hummus, pine nuts, pita chips and more. Though it really only takes about 15 minutes to prepare, you’ll need just over four hours to marinate the feta with thyme, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, green olives and olive oil.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Lemon chicken breasts
Who could possibly resist juicy chicken breasts simmering in white wine, lemon juice, oregano and thyme? And Garten’s recipe is one that anyone can make — really.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Arugula with prosciutto & burrata
Strips of prosciutto and chunks of burrata sitting atop a bed of arugula moistened with a mixture of vinegar, mustard, egg yolk and garlic? We’ll eat all four servings in one sitting, thanks.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Grilled salmon sandwiches
Skip the chicken salad sandwich this summer and opt for grilled salmon sandwiches instead. Garten’s recipe calls for fresh salmon fillets slathered with a sauce made with mayo, sour cream, white wine vinegar, basil leaves, fresh dill, capers and chopped scallions.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Caesar club sandwich
Why eat a Caesar salad in a bowl when you can eat it between two slices of bread? What we love about Garten’s recipe is the addition of pancetta.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Niman Ranch burgers
On the weekends when you do fire up the grill, go out of your way to pick up Niman Ranch beef — or other grass-fed premium beef — and grill a handful of these burgers. Served on English muffins, these aren’t your average cheeseburgers.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Before you go, check out these other impressive Ina Garten recipes.
Watch: We Tried Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac & Cheese & We Totally Get Why It Broke the Internet
A version of this article was originally published May 2019.
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