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The phrase "cooking with the seasons" usually refers to produce that is locally grown and in season, but it's not just vegetables that have seasons—cooking methods do too. In the summer, the market is loaded with soft, watery vegetables like tomatoes and zucchini, which taste best when cooked quickly; that's why summer recipes often rely on grilling, stir-frying and sautéing. The winter market is full of meats, roots and tubers—ingredients that shine when stewed, braised and roasted.

The hallmark of roasted food is the crispy brown crust that comes from high heat and the absence of water (you'll notice that boiled potatoes never brown). Chefs disagree on the best way to roast: Some swear by starting off at high temperatures (above 400°F) to achieve maximum browning, and then finishing at  lower temperatures; others believe that high heat should be maintained throughout the process. (I use both methods, depending on what I'm cooking.) The one thing chefs do agree on is that you don't roast cookies.  Below are tips that most chefs can agree on.

Pick the right-sized pan.
A roasting pan needs to be large enough to hold the food you are roasting, but not too big. If the pan is crowded, vegetables will steam instead of roast and they won't brown. Meat stuffed into a small pan will brown unevenly, and can stick to the sides. When the pan is too large, vegetables dry out and meats burn. Vegetables should fill the entire bottom of a roasting pan in a single layer. Meats should have an inch or so of room at the sides.

Know your materials.
Glass or stoneware pans work very well but can't be put on the stovetop in order to make a sauce since they'd shatter.  Use these pans only when no sauce is to be made. Enamel coated cast iron pans can be placed on the stovetop, but they are very heavy. Steel pans with thick bottoms or aluminum-coated stainless-steel pans work very well for anything you plan on doing.

Preheat the oven.
It should go without saying, but the oven should be at the correct temperature when you start cooking.

Start the vegetables in a hot pan.
For maximum browning, put oil in the roasting pan and allow it to heat for 5-10 minutes before tossing in the vegetables.

Make sure the pan is in the center of the oven.
The pan needs to be set in the center, top to bottom, front to back and side to side so that air can flow all around it. If your oven has hot spots, turn the pan halfway through cooking.

Move the food as it cooks.
Vegetables need to be stirred frequently to insure that they brown evenly without burning. Meats and poultry should be turned in the pan halfway through cooking to make sure they don't stick.

Use an instant-read thermometer.
For meats and poultry an instant-read thermometer is essential—old-fashioned meat thermometers create a hole that lets out juices. Cook by time and then check the temperature when the food looks done. Insert the thermometer into the center of the meat and avoid areas with bone, which can give false readings.

If you are serious about roasting, Barbara Kafka's excellent book, Roasting: A Simple Art, provides a host of ideas to help you roast successfully. For more information about Barbara and her cookbooks, check out her website: bkafka.com.

Recipes
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Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Apple Compote