another "using up garden veggies" question

[Anonymous]

I have a LOT of tiny cherry tomatoes from our garden that I need to use up. I have a couple of bigger plum tomatoes, 2 peppers (one is pinot noir and the other, I'm not sure, but it's red & I don't think it's hot; I think they are both frying peppers), and one small-med eggplant. I also have several cucumbers but I don't need to use them right away. We've got tons of basil out there too.

Any creative ideas? I'd like to use them for dinner tonight.

[Anonymous]

Slow roast the tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt and sugar (250 for 2-3 hours). Throw in the peppers and eggplant for the last 30-40 minutes of roasting with some red onion and garlic. Use the veggies for this recipe Ina Garten's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. Uses up a bunch of basil too! Don't use as much oil as the recipe calls for.

[Anonymous]

I saw some recipes for cherry tomato savory crisps/cobblers that looked good. Basically roasting with a parm cheese/herby bread topping. Plan on trying tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

focaccia bread

[Anonymous]

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ratatouille-bake/detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garden-casserole/detail.aspx

[Anonymous]

All great ideas - thanks!

Unbelievably, I have all of the ingredients for that orzo dish in the house (even scallions & pine nuts!) so I won't have to stop on the way home from work. I think I'll try that one tonight!

[Anonymous]

Another good Ina Garten recipe to use up those grape/cherry tomatoes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/capellini-with-tomatoes-and-basil-recipe/index.html

You can cut back on the oil and adding fresh oregano works well, too.

[Anonymous]

I've done what I call a 'farmer's market frittata'...most veggies go great with eggs and cheese so I just saute them up and pile onto a frittata (also could do it as an omelet).

[Anonymous]

Saute the peppers, plum tomatoes, and halved cherry tomatoes with a few sliced olives. Serve over pasta with feta and basil.

Stir fry garlic, onions, peppers, and eggplant. Mix in Thai peanut sauce, serve with rice. Especially good if you have Thai basil to add.

Both of these are quick (cook in 10-15 minutes once things are chopped) and don't require exact amounts. Garden-fresh eggplant is often not as bitter as store-bought eggplant, so we usually don't need to salt and rinse ours before cooking.