Waiting for Henri to blow through on Sunday gave me the perfect excuse to stay inside and putter about the kitchen. Having picked the vegetable (and flower!) garden clean before the storm, the tomato overload was at crisis level. (Not to mention the green bean, fairy tale eggplant and pepper explosion — that's just a sample pictured on the sheet tray!)

I turned on the oven (hurrah for no downed power lines!) and started roasting. Slow-Roasted Beefsteak Tomatoes, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Quick-Roasted Plum Tomatoes.

Each of these three methods produces a bounty of umami flavor-bombs that you can use in (or on) just about anything – vinaigrettes and salsas, frittatas and savory bread puddings, roast meats and fish, toast and tarts.

Tarts! I realized yesterday that as much as I love making a Roasted Tomato Rustic Tart (below) with my favorite pastry dough, something easier and quicker to make was right in front of my eyes on cookthevineyard.com. It was the Asparagus & Spring Onion Puff Pastry Tart recipe. All I had to do was substitute roasted cherry tomatoes for the sautéed veggies. I defrosted a sheet of frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry overnight, whipped up the ricotta-parmesan-herb topping this morning, and made a nice Roasted Tomato-Parmesan-Ricotta Puff Pastry Tart (top photo) in no time. Half of it is gone already.

I also had half a mind to make soup yesterday. All those vegetables staring at me screamed Harvest Minestrone.

But since I still had a lot of Morning Glory Farm corn in the fridge, too, I was wishing I had the fish to make Cod, Corn, Bacon, and Leek Chowder with Fresh Thyme. Soon!

Instead I wound up turning some ground pork I’d bought in a pinch before the storm into a version of Simple Parmigiano Meatballs, because I’d also made a batch of – you guessed it – fresh Vineyard Tomato Sauce. (Luckily we are rarely without a big hunk of Parmigiano around here.)

Tonight we’re using some of that sauce to make Baked Eggs Pizzaiola. Yum.

For dessert? I think it’s just about cookie-baking time, don’t you? As kids get ready to head back to school, I’m reminded of what a steadfast cookie-baker my mom was. In my (likely imperfect) memory, my mom had homemade cookies waiting for us every afternoon when we got home from school. I’m going to make these Chewy Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Chip Cookies in her honor.

Before the storm arrived, we made it to the Fair (eight ribbons for my veggies and flowers!) and grabbed dinner from Goldie’s Rotisserie truck. That French Onion Hot Dog is something else! We had the quarter rotisserie chicken and slaw, too – so good. If you missed Goldie’s, catch them at the Grange Hall 10 a.m to 2 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. And keep in mind they’ll be onsite at the museum for the fabulous Martha’s Vineyard Oyster Festival coming up on October 1 and 2.

My co-worker, photographer Ray Ewing, sampled some of the other amazing Fair food, including Komrade Chicken’s Fried Chicken Sandwich, Deon’s Conch Fritters, burgers from the West Tisbury Firemen’s Booth and Floaters’ Espresson Float. I think he had help eating all that.

So long until next year, Fair food. And we’ll see you all on Instagram @cookthevineyard.