CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER IN A PUMPKIN!!

From March of Dimes Benefit, Atlanta Bread Display by Jeanne!

 Autumn is here! Pumpkins are here! Cool breezes (even in Florida!) in the morning and evening, and sunny afternoons which make everything bright with a warm glow.  These are my memories; this is my heart; Autumn in New England.

The tree leaves change from their vibrant, living green to an even more glorious display of color, orange, red and gold, a final tribute to a season of growing. The harvest too, reflects richness in its color: pumpkins; orange, white and heirloom, pale green,  squashes; yellow, orange, green and gold with wild names and gnarled shapes.  They are ready to be transformed into mouth-watering dishes redolent of cinnamon, nutmeg and spices and some of the pumpkins will come alive again at Hallowe'en with the many faces of a Jack-o-Lantern!

Florida, too, has it's own autumn. The yards and gardens are filled with pumpkins, scarecrows, corn husks and bales of hay. The sun has the same golden glow and the days grow shorter as the weather cools.  It is my favorite time of year, anywhere!

Sweet Pie Pumpkin

When I received my sweet pie pumpkin from SunCoast Organics AND still had some of their sweet, fresh corn, I knew Corn and Crab Chowder in a Pumpkin was "on the menu"!!

The basic recipe I will offer is for a New England style chowder, but the one I prepared (and will give instructions for as well) was a little more Latino.  

Steamed Sweet Bicolor Corn

Snow Crab Clusters

A few years back, I had the opportunity to prepare this recipe on ABC TV's, Sunrise program. I was preparing for a March of Dimes Benefit for Atlanta Bread Company and they offered us the TV spot for advertising the event. It was very exciting, even though it meant getting up at 3 AM to be at the studio at 5! (you can see by the photo, I don't do mornings well!) BUT, the pumpkin was bigger! I served the morning crew the Latino version in the pumpkin and garnished it with parsley and yellow, orange and green pepper strips to represent autumn leaves. 

Still trying to figure out how to get this photo here! Stay tuned!

CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER IN A PUMPKIN

Prepare the pumpkin: preheat oven to 350.

Wash pumpkin and cut off top for a lid. Remove all seeds* and scrape out the "stringy" material. (this stuff, appropriately, reminds me of Hallowe'en cobwebs). 

Seeds and Strings!

Coat the inside and outside of the pumpkin with butter. Add salt and pepper.  Place prepared pumpkin on a baking tray (without lid) and bake at 350 for one to 1 1/2 hours until inside is softened and cooked, but outside still firm enough to hold its shape. The hardest part of this is to keep from eating the baked pumpkin and letting it collapse. It just smells so good cooking!!

Butter and Pumpkin!!

Baked pumpkin and butter!!

You can serve the chowder in the hot pumpkin or heat it inside the pumpkin for the last 20 -30 minutes.

Carefully scoop some of the pumpkin into each serving of chowder.

Chowder recipe:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

4 slices chopped, smoked bacon

1 cup water, seafood or chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine or sherry

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon, fresh

salt and pepper to taste

s cups fresh (or frozen) sweet corn

1-2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups half and ;half

1 pound lump crabmeat (or other)

Saute the onion and bacon in the butter until onion is translucent and bacon is crisp. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour.

Add wine and let evaporate slightly, stirring to blend and thicken. Add stock and then corn. Whisk in half and half. Gently stir in crabmeat.

MMM..just smell those flavors

Corn and Crab Chowder Baked in a Pumpkin, Rosy colored

Served with Chunks of Pumpkin..see the golden color

* you can clean off the pumpkin seeds and let them dry overnight on wax paper. Then coat them with a little oil, salt and pepper and chili spice and roast them in a hot oven until brown! Yummy pumpkin seeds!

For the Latino version of this chowder:  add 1 tablespoon or more of chopped jalapeno to the onion. Add some chopped chorizo to the bacon or substitute. Use fresh cilantro in place of thyme. I used both.

As an added note, the Chowder is authentic to both New England culture and the Latino culture. Pumpkin is a favorite food in South America!

For an elegant presentation at a dinner party, serve this chowder or another appropriate chowder or soup in mini-pumpkins at each place setting.