Gluten Free

Spicy harissa, a hot pepper sauce, plays off sweet raisins perfectly. —Murphy

This recipe is excerpted from Cooked by Michael Pollan and is recommended as an option to serve with his Pork Shoulder Barbecue recipe. Read more in our interview with Michael Pollan.

Thai red curry paste typically has more than eight different ingredients, including hot red pepper and lemongrass, so buying it ready- made is certainly easier than making your own. Look for it in the ethnic foods section of your supermarket or at Asian grocers. You can add 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, to the curry during the last few minutes of cooking, if you wish.

Sautéing is another fast way to make a meal, especially when the pan juices are turned into a sweet and savory sauce, as they are here. This comforting dish features an array of autumn ingredients—apples, fennel, and sweet potatoes—roasted in the oven to caramelize lightly and bring their sugars to the forefront. The sauce, which mingles apple cider with the meaty browned bits in the skillet, is sharpened with a bit of Dijon mustard to balance the sweetness.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Milk Chocolate Cup-of-Fluffs . Milk chocolate's flavor, while less powerful than that of dark chocolate, is just as precious. Choose a premium brand with 38 to 50 percent cacao.

Fast-track this recipe by tripling the dry ingredients and storing them in a jar. At breakfast time, scoop out 2 1/4 cups. All the other measurements stay the same.

When cooked just right, the potatoes will be tender but should still hold their shape.

Serve the shrimp on toast to soak up the delicious pickling liquid.

When adding the caramel to the popcorn and peanuts, work quickly and thoroughly to coat the other ingredients before it hardens.

Use either arctic char or salmon for this super springy and fresh fish dinner.

Herbs in the dressing beg for herbs in the salad, too. We toss this vinaigrette with Bibb lettuce and lots of the tender green herbs— like mint, chervil, and parsley—that we grow in our window box.

A stunning, veggie-packed bowl of spring goodness.

Here's a recipe that justifies the existence of that food processor grating disk (you didn't throw it out, we hope). If you don't have one, a box grater will do.

This satisfying salad is great alongside broiled fish, roast chicken, or a simple steak. To turn it into a vegetarian meal, fold in sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Bloomfield loves making this salad with black mint, which you'll find in spring and summer at farmers' markets.

This whole roasted cauliflower has become a signature of Domenica chef Alon Shaya. Precooking the cauliflower in seasoned liquid infuses it with flavor.

Trimming tender baby artichokes is simple. As you go, transfer them to lemon water to keep them from turning brown.

Granny Smith apples are ideal for this dish: Their sweet-tart juice complements the rich scallops, and they keep their shape when cooked.

There are all kinds of radishes available at the markets in the spring—use any shape or color that looks good to you.

Start this recipe one day ahead; the pork is best if it is left to marinate overnight.