Once overshadowed by its’ cruciferous cousin, broccoli, cauliflower can now claim center stage. A star in its own right when roasted to caramelized nutty perfection, it adds nutritious substance to once carb heavy dishes, as well as a creamy, velvety texture for cauliflower soup.

Simplicity is a tenet of Provencal cooking, so is knowing just how to combine the simple ingredients into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Alain Ducasse’s cookpot of vegetables is the ratatouille that dreams are made of. Roasted tomatoes and onions add rich and deep layers of flavor to eggplant and zucchini that only vaguely resemble any dish of stewed ratatouille I have ever tasted.

Several years ago, when I lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, my family and I bought a small cottage in Sweden, about an hour’s drive away. We bought the house on a whim after falling for the Swedish landscape and nature over the course of several road trips.

Samin Nosrat is the chef who taught Michael Pollan to cook.

She’s also writing her first cookbook, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: The Four Elements of Good Cooking” to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2017. This epic herb salad combines the richness of avocado and hard-cooked eggs with crunchy radishes and cucumbers, accompanied by an explosion of fresh herbs. All tossed together with a brightly acidic vinaigrette.

Soft, sweet, and caramelized to perfection, roasted garlic adds a beautiful depth of flavor, intensified with hints of fresh rosemary.

Southeast Asian flavors and just a little bit of heat make this oven-roasted Dungeness crab a delicious mess to be enjoyed with lots of napkins.