Roast

Serve these easy-to-prepare peaches with scoops of ice cream, and drizzle with pan juices.

Bosc pears must be very ripe; Anjou, which are juicier, can be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

Romesco sauce, from the Catalonian region of Spain, is traditionally served with shellfish. We serve our version with roasted potatoes. It’s even better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to blend: Refrigerate it overnight in a covered container, and bring to room temperature before serving.

Halving the yams before roasting greatly reduces the cooking time and allows them to develop a nice golden crust.

A copper gratin dish or cast-iron skillet is ideal for roasting potatoes, but a rimmed baking sheet works equally well. To ensure the potatoes cook evenly, slice larger ones in half lengthwise and leave smaller ones whole.

A Japanese or French mandoline is great for slicing vegetables uniformly—anywhere from very thin to thick—and takes much less time than slicing by hand with a knife.

Using a mandoline to slice the potatoes is quick and easy. You can do so up to four hours ahead; to prevent browning, place matchsticks in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator until ready to use, then pat them dry with paper towels.

We used acorn squash for this recipe, but other types, such as butternut or pumpkin, work as well.

Use a citrus reamer, juicer, or press to extract the pomegranate juice.

An Indian-inspired spice blend adds a warm hue and gives this vegetable dish an exotic taste.