Barefoot Contessa (2002–…): Season 16, Episode 4 - Rehearsal Dinner - full transcript

I'm feeling so inspired.

I'm making honey vanilla
pound cake

with fabulous local honey
for the sag harbor
farmer's market.

Then mâche with baked local
Atlantic mist cheese

from the mecox bay dairy,

served with local fuji apples.

Then, I'm making my own
vanilla extract

fragrant garlic
and lemon oil

and delicious basil mayonnaise.

Then to celebrate market day

"ask ina's" all about produce.



So it's over to you,
ask me anything.

♪

I love it whether it's
the height of summer
or the dead of winter here,

you can find lots
of local producers

at the sag harbor
farmer's market.

It's a tiny market in winter,

but there are lots
of really passionate people

selling delicious
artisanal products.

They're jams, cheese,

pantry products,
you name it.

I think it's really important
to go to the market
and see what's there

and let it inspire
your menus,

rather than making
a list of ingredients

and going shopping for them.



That way you're always
serving dishes

that are made from seasonal
local ingredients.

And that's the best.

Here's a perfect example.

I found some local honey
in the market and I thought,

mmm, honey vanilla pound cake.

Honey vanilla pound cake
is such a great
old fashioned flavor.

And the local honey
is gonna give it
even local flavor.

So I'm gonna start
with two sticks of butter.

And they're at cool
room temperature,

not quite fully
room temperature.

It's a trick I learned
from a magazine called
cooks illustrated,

and they said it makes
the best crumb
of a pound cake.

And I found out
they're absolutely right.

So that's half a pound
of butter

and 1 1/4 cups of sugar.

So that's gonna cream
for about 3-5 minutes

until it's light and Fluffy.

And while that happens,
let's talk honey.

Local producer,
frederique Keller
has bees everywhere.

They're incredible and she's
made a little video for us.

Hi, ina.

I'm frederique,
welcome to beepharm.

I've been keeping bees for over
20 years on Long Island.

I work with my husband, Fred,
and we've got 42 hives.

That's more than 2 million
busy honeybees.

The bees do all
the hard work.

We use a smoker to relax them
so we can work inside
the hive.

We make lots of wonderful
produce,
even buzz bars.

These are our own
energy bars.

You've bought pure raw honey,
one of our most popular
products.

We don't process it at all.

We just jar it
and it's ready for the market.

The fresh honey is just
the most wonderful color.

I hope you love it, ina.

Okay, back to the honey
vanilla pound cake.

I need 4 eggs
at room temperature.

2 tablespoons of honey.

I'm gonna mix it right in.

This is good honey,
it's very thick.

If you put it right into
the eggs,

it won't stick to the jar.

Whoo, honey can be messy,

but delicious.

And then 2 teaspoons
of good vanilla.

That 2/3 tablespoon.

Okay, 1 teaspoon lemon zest

right into this little pitcher.

And now, I have everything ready
to put into the butter
sugar mixture,

which is light and Fluffy.

I'm just gonna put it in
one egg at a time.

And just let it get
incorporated.

Do it a little faster.

This is the point
where you really can't
over mix it.

And this is so important

why the ingredients
are room temperature.

So it creams really nicely.

And it makes a nice,
Fluffy cake.

Okay, and see

the honey comes out
when it's mixed
with the other things.

Next, the dry ingredients.

I've got 2 cups
of cake flower in the sifter.

I'm gonna add 1 teaspoon
of salt.

I use kosher salt.

And 1/2 teaspoon
baking power.

I'm just gonna
sift them together.

Cake flower is great for this.

It's more finely milled
and has a high starch content,

so it makes the crumb
of the cake even more tender,

which is good.

If you can't find cake flower,

sometimes I have
a hard time finding it,

you can substitute 1 cup
of regular flour

and replace 2 tablespoons of it

with corn starch.

Okay, into the butter/sugar
mixture.

So, with the mixture on low,

slowly add the flour,

salt and baking powder mixture.

This is the time
you can over beat it.

So do it just enough
to mix together.

Try and keep most of it
in the bowl.

Well, that's pretty easy.

So the loaf pan I have

is 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by
2 1/2 inches deep.

That's perfect for this cake.

I always give it an extra mix
when it's in the mixer,

because I feel like
the bottom of the bowl

never gets properly scraped.

Just fold it.

Okay, into the pan.

And then this is gonna bake
350 degrees

for about 50 to 60 minutes.

Just until a toothpick
comes out clean.

I just buttered and floured
the tin.

Put a little parchment paper
on the bottom,

just to make sure
it comes out.

There's no point in making
a cake

unless you can get it
out of the tin.

And then, when it's cooled
a little bit,

I'm gonna turn it out
and let it cool completely.

Just smooth the top
so you end up

with a really nicely
shaped pound cake.

You can already smell
the honey and vanilla.

It's just delicious.

This is one of my favorite,

favorite cakes.

Okay, into the oven
and that's going to be
one gorgeous

honey vanilla pound cake.

And this is my favorite

honey vanilla pound cake.

And I always just put it
on a rectangular platter

and do slices down.

It's wonderful by itself,

but it's just so delicious
with a cup of tea.

Sometimes I like to toast it
with a little bit of butter

and another drizzle of honey.

Who wouldn't like that?

I like to serve it for dessert
with a little vanilla ice cream

and some fresh berries.

But I have to admit...

All by itself is

my absolute favorite.

It smells delicious.

It's still warm.

It's moist. It's tender.

You can taste the vanilla
and the honey.

That is perfect
honey vanilla pound cake.

Next, I'm keeping it local
with baked Atlantic mist cheese,

homemade vanilla extract,

bottled garlic and lemon oil,

and creamy delicious
basil mayonnaise.

Then, it's all your
market day questions answered

"ask ina."

It's market day in sag harbor.

And one place that I never fail
to stop at is mecox dairy.

For somebody that loves cheese,
it's heaven.

Art ludlow is
a great cheese maker

who makes and sells

the most incredible
artisanal cheeses.

His family has been farming
the land here in the Hamptons

since the 1870s.

And they transformed it
from a potato farm
into a dairy farm

in 2003.

It's a family concern
with art, his wife and sons,

producing five
artisanal cheeses
from their jersey cows.

And love that they talk about
getting great flavor
into the cheese

from the rich Hampton soil

and the sweet ocean breezes.

It's downright poetic.

This is art's cheese called
Atlantic mist.

It's a soft ripening cheese.

And it's like brie
or camembert.

It's so delicious.

The guys from my office
are coming for lunch

and I'm gonna make a big salad
with the brie, mâche,

some apples I also got
from the market,

and some toasted bread.

So first I need 12 slices
of toasted baguette.

So I toasted the bread
in the oven,

350 degrees
for about 6 to 8 minutes,

just until it's crisp.

It's actually so much easier
than doing it in the toaster.

And anyway, who has a toaster
with 12 slices.

Okay, that should be
about 12 slices.

So, right on the sheet pan.

I just think anything
you can do in the oven

where you just throw it
in the oven,

set a time and forget about it,
is good with me.

It's gonna be so good
with art's cheese.

Okay, next for the cheese.

I'm just gonna cut it
in quarters.

This is about 12 ounces
and it's gonna make
four servings.

You can really use any
soft ripening cheese for this.

You can use brie, camembert.

They can be big wedges, small,
it doesn't matter.

Doesn't this look gorgeous?

It's perfect.

And then I'm gonna take
6 tablespoons of the honey

I got at the market and just
drizzle it right on top of the
cheese.

This is so thick

it's not easy to drizzle.

When it warms up
this is just gonna be fantastic.

Next, I'm gonna do
some pistachios.

I like that salty crunch.

Okay, into the oven,

350 degrees for
3 to 5 minutes.

But watch it very carefully.

It goes to liquid
just like that.

So the toast is ready,
nicely crisped.

Next I'm gonna make
the salad dressing.

This is a really simple
vinaigrette.

3 tablespoons of olive oil.

I don't know why people think
vinaigrettes are hard to do.

They're really not.

One tablespoon good
balsamic vinegar.

I actually chose
a really old one

since it only 1 tablespoon
in this whole thing.

I chose one that's got
lots of flavor.

It's kind of syrupy,
you can see that.

Salt.

Remember, this is just
a vinaigrette, so you need
to highly season it.

Pepper.

And just whisk it.

And that's it.

Okay, so this is mâche,
very delicate.

And you want to dress it
just before you serve it.

So I'm just gonna
pour this one.

Just enough to sort of
lightly flavor it.

Big spoons.

Give it a toss.

This is gonna be
really good with the toast

and the warm cheese
and apples.

It's actually one of my
favorite lunches.

Okay, now a couple
of big plates.

Okay, big pile of salad
in the middle.

Then I'm gonna put
the good stuff on top.

Okay, that's the salad.

Next is the apple.

So I'm just gonna take the apple
and cut it in quarters.

This is that gorgeous
fuji apples that I got
in the market.

Just take the core out.

Let's see, I'm think
I'm just gonna do slices.

And then I'll just
fan it out,

just nice wedges.

So this is gonna be
delicious.

The apple and the cheese
go really well together
with the mâche.

And actually it's
very interesting food pairings.

So I asked art
if he could tell me

what goes really well

with his other four cheeses.

Hi, ina,
welcome to the dairy.

I'd like to start
with the farmhouse cheddar.

This is halfway between
a sweet English cheddar

and a sharp American one.

I think tangy cheddar is perfect

served with a light malty beer
or chutney.

Then sigit.

It's like an alpine style
cheese.

Think gruyere or emmental.

The cheese has
a little sweetness.

So it's perfectly matched
with a dry, hard cider

and something salty
like roasted cashew nuts.

This is the smelliest one,
mecox bay sunrise.

It's a stinky cheese,
like a French muenster.

It's love with
a sweet saltern wine.

Because washed rind cheeses
lend themselves to something

with a hint of sweetness.

And to go with it,
the pears,

because the sweetness
of the fruit

balances the flavor
of the strong cheese.

And then, at the other end
of the spectrum

is the shawondasee.

It's the mildest
of our cheeses.

It's like a French
tomme de savoie.

Compliment it
with a crisp white wine
like a sauvignon blanc.

And crunchy celery
and crusty white bread

would bring out
the complex flavor of it.

Lots of cheese pairing
ideas there, ina.

Goodbye from the dairy.

That was really interesting.

I want to try all of those.

But this Atlantic mist,
a little warm with
pistachios and honey

is gonna be so good
on the salad.

Perfect.

Okay, a now the toast.

So just a few slices
on each plate.

That actually looks like
lunch.

I think I hear the guys
from the office. Perfect timing.

Lunch is ready.

Hi, ina, how are you doing?

Lunch is ready.

So a mâche salad
with warm cheese.
Wow, that looks wonderful.

Look Susanna.
Thank you.

We don't have any fun together.

You can tell.

It looks wonderful.
Come with me it's lunchtime.

Next, I've got some incredible
ideas for some homemade flavors.

My own vanilla extract.

Delicious garlic and lemon oil.

And a basil mayonnaise
you can whip up
in your food processor.

Then, it's market day
in "ask ina."

When I was at the farmer's
market

I saw all these gorgeous,
artisanal pantry products.

And it got me to thinking,

what do I have
in my pantry?

And I realized that
homemade vanilla

is one of my favorite
ingredients.

Twenty-five years ago
I made a jar for the house

and I've still got it going.

And recently I made
another one for the barn.

I use them all the time.

It's so easy,
I'll show you how to make it.

Just place the vanilla beans
in a jar that's tall enough

to hold the vanilla beans
without bending.

You can start with 12, 24,

anything that will fill
that jar.

And then pour enough vodka in
to cover the vanilla beans.

It'll take a bottle of vodka,
maybe a bottle and a half,

depends on how big
your jar is.

Let the jar of vanilla beans
set at room temperature
for at least a month,

but it's even better
for six months.

And at this point
you'll have two things,

the vodka will have become
vanilla extract,

which is fantastic.

But the other thing is,

if you snip off the end
of one of the vanilla beans

and squeeze out the seeds,

you can use that
for whatever you're making.

It'll give all your recipes that
use vanilla fabulous flavor.

And also you'll see

those little flecks

of vanilla seeds.

I just keep the oils
in the refrigerator

because I think they last
longer.

And even the ones
I make myself.

This is garlic and lemon oil.

It's fantastic drizzled
over fish.

It's great in a vinaigrette,
for dipping bread.

And the good news is,

it's as easy to make
as vanilla extract.

You start by putting 12 cloves
of peeled garlic
into a small saucepan

with 2 cups
of extra virgin olive oil.

Turn on the heat.

Bring the oil to
a boiling point.

Then turn it down
to a simmer

and cook the garlic
for about ten minutes.

You don't want the garlic
to burn.

Off the heat,

add the zest of 2 lemons.

Add a few pinches
of red pepper flake,

just for a little kick.

And a 1/2 teaspoon of salt
to bring out all the flavors.

Give it a stir
and allow it to sit
at room temperature

until all of those fabulous
garlic and lemon flavors

are infused into the oil.

And that's it.

There's something else
I like to keep in the fridge

and it's a basic mayonnaise.

And I've run out
so I'm gonna make some now.

For some reason people think
that mayonnaise
is kind of like vinaigrette...

It's very hard to make.

But with a food processor
it's so easy,
you won't believe it.

It's kind of magical.

I've got 4 egg yolks
and they must be
at room temperature.

6 tablespoons

of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

1 teaspoon of garlic.

2 tablespoons of salt.

And 2 teaspoons of pepper.

And just puree it.

And now, very slowly
I'm going to add
two different oils.

2 cups of vegetable oil
and just pour it in
very slowly.

And what's going to happen
is the egg yolks
are going to emulsify the oil.

And it's gonna turn
into mayonnaise.

Plus 1 cup of olive oil.

And just pour it in
the same way.

I like the combination
of the two oils.

Usually, the vegetable oil
is good for it,

but the olive oil
gives it a lot of extra flavor.

So I need a cup
of fresh basil leaves.

And that's gonna go
right into the mayonnaise.

Into the food processor.

Okay that's done.

I'm just gonna put it
in a container

and store it in the fridge.

I can pick up some
grilled salmon
on the way home

and serve this
as a sauce with it.

It's great on sandwiches.

For crudités.

Either a sauce or a dip.

Okay, into the fridge.

So now I've got
this fridge stocked.

I've got basil mayonnaise.

I've got oil
with garlic and lemon.

Not quite enough to set up
a stand at the farmer's market,

but good enough
for Jeffrey and me.

Up next, I'm answering
all your produce questions

in "ask ina."

So don't go anywhere

because I'm open for business.

It's "ask ina"
and it's all about produce.

Hi, ina.

Last summer my husband and I
found beautiful
locally grown beets

at our farmer's market.

And I was tempted to roast them
for a beet salad.

I wasn't totally successful.

And I'm hoping you can help
with a recipe for roasted beets.

Actually, I love roasted beets.

And they're not so hard
to make.

For 12 beets I cut off

the tops and the tails.

Peel them.

And cut them into
1 1/2 inch chunks.

Then onto a baking sheet.

I pour over 3 tablespoons
of good olive oil.

Then sprinkle over
1 1/2 teaspoons

of minced
fresh thyme leaves.

2 teaspoons of kosher salt.

And 1 teaspoon

of freshly ground
black pepper.

Toss them together.

Put the beets in
a 400 degree oven

for 35 to 40 minutes.

I turn them once or twice

to make sure they brown evenly.

When they're tender
they're done.

Pour over 2 tablespoons
of raspberry vinegar.

The juice of one large orange.

And give it a good toss
all together.

Sprinkle them
with salt and pepper.

They're delicious served warm
with a side dish,

at room temperature
as a salad.

With some goat cheese...

So good.

Okay, the next is a email,
it's from Sandy Phillips.

Can you tell me the easiest way
to pop the core our of a
lettuce?

What my mother used to do
is take a whole head of lettuce.

Let's see if this works.

I haven't done this
in a long time.

Just rap the core on the board.

Just like that.

And it would just pop out.

And it works.

Wanna see that again?

And just rap the core
on the board, just like that.

And it would just
pop out.

And it works.

Okay, time for one more
question.

This is an email
from Keith boser.

Several of my coworkers and I

love going to our local
farmer's markets.

Do you have any recipes
for radishes?

Thanks, Keith.

Actually, Keith,
I love radishes.

I think they're a completely
under-appreciated vegetable.

And my favorite was to have then

is the way French school
children have them after school.

First thing I do
is fill a plate with salt,

like some sort of course
sea salt.

And then arrange the radishes
right on top.

Spread some salted butter

onto slices of toasted baguette.

Then, arrange the radishes
and the baguettes

beautifully on a platter.

Well I hope you've all
been inspired,
I certainly have been.

Have fun.

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