Ep 1. Cook Like a Pro: Farm Stand

In the season 16 premiere of Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics, host Ina Garten is focused on cooking like a pro, and she starts by visiting a local farm stand to gather fresh ingredients for her recipes. As she shops for the best produce, she shares valuable tips on selecting the ripest fruits and vegetables and reveals her cooking secrets for making the most of seasonal ingredients.

Back in her kitchen, Garten prepares a delicious tomato crostini appetizer showcasing the fresh, juicy tomatoes she picked up at the farm stand. She lightly toasts slices of bread in the oven before topping them with a mixture of ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and herbs, then finishing with the farm-fresh tomatoes.

For the main course, Garten creates a perfect summer dish of roasted salmon and potatoes with a fresh herb sauce. She uses baby potatoes from the farm stand, tossing them with olive oil and seasoning before roasting them in the oven along with the salmon. The herb sauce is a simple yet flavorful combination of parsley, dill, chives, garlic, and lemon juice blended to perfection.

To round out the meal, Garten whips up a tasty green salad with a homemade mustard vinaigrette dressing. She mixes together mixed greens, cucumbers, and radishes before dressing with a combination of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

In addition to the recipes, Garten shares cooking tips and tricks throughout the episode, including the importance of using a sharp knife to cut vegetables and the benefits of roasting salmon at a lower temperature to prevent overcooking.

Throughout the episode, Garten emphasizes the importance of supporting local farmers and using fresh, seasonal ingredients in order to create delicious, healthy meals. Her Cook Like a Pro: Farm Stand episode is a perfect example of how easy it can be to create a beautiful, balanced meal from simple, high-quality ingredients.