There is a whole category of second life I grant to produce that has gone uneaten too long: the overenthusiastic farmers’ market purchase, the neighbor’s fruit tree overflow, the kids’ sudden preference for apples over pears—all of which can cause a fruit backlog. Don’t bother with fruit that’s truly mashed-up or moldy, but do think about low-effort desserts that can shine glory on even somewhat neglected fruit. Just trim away any bruises or soft bits and you can make a broad range of delicious desserts, from roasted fruit compote to top yogurt or ice cream to homey cakes such as banana bread or crumb-topped streusel berry cake. If you don’t have time to deal with the extra fruit right away, you can always throw trimmed fruit in the freezer until you are ready to noodle around in the kitchen.
Desserts are also a great place to capture the goodness of extra bread, broken packaged cookies, or even the last handful of cereal in a box. French toast is a classic bread-save, of course, but this chapter also has cookies and cake made from breadcrumbs and an ice cream sundae topped with everything from cookie crumbs to caramelized breakfast cereal.
