Eating

To set aside a few fresh ears to dry. For that day a few months from now. It's cold. Or rainy. Or both. Time for a movie and a bowl of superior popcorn. Great flavor. Low calorie. Whole grain. Gluten-free. And free! From that ear you wisely set aside to dry.

The Better Cheaper Slower party of the summer. Why didn't I think of this before? Friendly helping hands to turn a half-bushel of low, low price Farmers Market basil into a winter's worth of pesto sauce for all. Your very own harvest festival.

A two-ingredient, ten-minute vegetable preparation that's mysteriously great. In a blind-tasting you probably wouldn't guess what it is. It's such a perfect flavor combination you'd think it was just one thing.

When there's not enough solar power to ripen late summer tomatoes, turn on the oven. A little extra heat to bring out the sweet. Make as much as you can refrigerate and freeze. To get you through a tomato-less fall and winter.

A Cheddar-Stuffed Baked Apple. Deep, satisfying sweetness from the apple. Earthy, slightly salty richness from the cheese. An amazingly healthy, total-satisfaction, zero-deprivation breakfast. Two minutes to prepare for baking. Fifteen minutes to jog it off.

A compact flavor and vitamin bomb. Takes less than 5 minutes to turn 4 ingredients into a deliciously fresh, aromatic vegetable dish that's wonderful on the side or at center stage. Rich and smooth. Fresh and bright. Luscious.

Mellow, tart and slightly spicy at the same time. Big, rich, deep flavors to coat the season's first, fresh new potatoes. Total comfort food with a Mexican accent. Less than $5 for enough to feed four or more.

The Far East and the Middle East meet over a piece of really good bread. The fresh sweet pea-like flavor of the thick Edamame Puree and the smooth, smoky, garlicky Baba Ghanoush make one of the all-time great flavor combinations.

This is what summer should taste like. A light, intensely flavorful but not too sweet dessert. Pretty terrific for breakfast, too. Amazing how easily you can make this Better and Cheaper than you can buy it. 70 cents per slice.

Very luscious. Slightly sweet. Soft and crisp. Highly aromatic. The perfectly seasonal fruit, cheese and bread brunch. Fresh figs are at the Farmers Markets right now. You should be, too.