Nigel Slater's Recipes for Ricotta Pepper Basil Pie and Grilled Green Bean Corn

Summer slowly slipped away like honey falling from a spoon.

I hold on as long as I dare, ignoring the first leaves that turn . I refuse to buy pumpkins, even butternut squash, until I smell the first bonfire. There's still some warmth left in the sun.

Early fall always brings with it boxes of late plums and raspberries and the best of tomatoes and peppers . Sweet corn will also have benefited enormously from the long sunny days. I like to temper the sugar of the sweet corn by mixing the golden kernels with the last climbing beans and the tartness of the pomegranate molasses.

There are big clumps too. of basil around at a reasonable price. For pesto, of course, but I also use the peppery, clove-scented leaves, slipped into salads of thickly sliced ​​tomatoes and silver anchovies. This week I imagined them in a roasted pepper and white ricotta pie, probably the last lunch we'll eat out except for the odd plate of bread and cheese while I'm having a broom over dead leaves.

Our garden soft fruit is ending sweetly for the year, but you can still find a decent plum to bake under a crumble crust. I grill them too, sprinkled with sugar or honey, scooping out every last drop of their juice.

But we should hurry; apples, nuts and pumpkins are already there.

Ricotta, pepper and basil tart

It's a bit tedious to line the bottom of the pastry with dried beans and pre-bake it before adding the filling , but this guarantees a perfect crispy base. It's worth your time. Putting a spare baking sheet in the oven on which to bake the pie pan will also help. For 6

red peppers 5, medium to large puff pastry 320g (1 sheet) ricotta 400gail 1 large clove parmesan cheese 50g basil leaves 50g , plus 12g to serve parsley leaves 20 geggs 2 lightly beaten cream 150ml plain flour 2 heaped tablespoons "dcr-3jlghf">Put the oven to 200C/thermostat 6. Put the peppers in a roasting tin, leaving a little space between them, then roast for a good 45 minutes until they are blackened and starting to fall apart. Take the pan out of the oven, cover and let the peppers soften in their own steam. This will make it easier to remove their skin.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured board and line the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Cut if necessary. Place a layer of parchment paper on top of the dough and fill it with dried beans, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Place a baking sheet in the oven and raise the heat at 220C/thermostat 7. Place the pie shell in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes until the edges are dry and slightly crispy. Carefully remove the beans and paper. Lower the heat to 200C/thermostat 6.

Place the ricotta in a bowl, season with freshly ground black pepper. Peel the garlic, then add a big pinch of salt and grind to a paste using a pestle and mortar, then add to the ricotta. Finely grate and add the parmesan. Remove the basil and parsley leaves from their stems, chop them finely and add them. Incorporate the 2 lightly beaten eggs, then the cream and the flour.

Spread the mixture over the dough in the mold and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes until just firm. The filling should still jiggle a bit.

Peel the skin off the peppers, remove the stems, pits and seeds, then place them on the pie. Tuck the basil leaves among the peppers, then pour in the juice left in the roasting dish from cooking the peppers. Let pie rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Grilled corn, green beans