Late Summer Harvests

Yesterday's; Food Section of the Times was all about using up the last of the garden harvest.This is a good idea but what exactly do you do ? After all by this time you're probably sick of eating all those tomatoes squash an cucumbers. Not to worry. The article has some interesting ideas.

Melissa Clark's piece was full of good suggestionss. I liked her idea for a fig (although I'm not a big fan of the fruit) tart. Here she take s leftover figs and makes a savory tart with them. In it go in onions rosemary and Stilton cheese. It's then poured on a pre made phyllo dough crust an d baked for 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven. This is a nice way of getting rid of any left over fig. I imagine you could sub in any veggie like peppers and squash ans surprisingly even apples to create this dish.

Another good idea is ratatouille This time cook it with sausage and bake it in a pot pie with a corn meal crust. this is a more interesting take on the recipe and something a family might appreciate. Another intriguing recipe is an eclair not filled with cream, but with tomatoes and ricotta cheese. It;s the same principle as a sweet one but with a savory filling. it;s a great wayto rind your fridge of the bumper crop of both the vine ripened fruit and basil.

Don't worry if your freezer or fridge is bursting with the last of the summer harvest. There are many ways in which you can use up those leftover tomatoes figs and peppers along with squash. Just be creative!