Paulette Mitchell

I love tasting new foods and developing recipes. So, in my home, years can pass before I revisit favorite dishes.

But I do have one tradition – making Pumpkin Stew in the fall. This is my favorite recipe in my cookbook, A Beautiful Bowl of Soup. And it’s the perfect excuse for throwing a dinner party.

The stew is cooked on the stovetop. And then it is poured into a hollowed-out pumpkin, which is put into the oven for about an hour. As the soup simmers, the pumpkin cooks, too.

I transfer the stew-filled pumpkin to a large platter and encourage guests to serve themselves. What makes this unique and wonderful is scooping out a wedge of cooked pumpkin and topping it with the stew. The flavor combination is extraordinary.

Sometimes, rather than baking the stew in one large pumpkin, I make individual servings. Last year, I purchased six different squashes and prepared one for each guest. They are still talking about that dinner party! If the squashes you choose are not flat on the bottom, cut a slice to even them. And it’s a good idea to select squash of similar size, so they will bake at the same rate. Check after about 45 minutes, and bake only until the squashes are fork-tender.

Accompany the fall feast with a tossed green salad (I usually toss it with a creamy dressing), warm cornbread (served with my homemade red wine jelly), and red wine to complete the fresh palette of brilliant colors and earthy flavors.

Makes 8 cups + pumpkin - 6 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium russet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium orange-fleshed sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup dried apple slices
• 2 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth + more as needed
• 1 medium pumpkin (8 to 10 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + dash for pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper + dash for pumpkin
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup dry sherry

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, potatoes, apples, and 2 cups vegetable stock. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan large enough to accommodate the pumpkin. Slice off the top of the pumpkin, leaving about a 6-inch opening, and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes, leaving the pumpkin flesh intact; brush the inside and top edge with the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the shell in the prepared baking pan.

Stir the stew and add the black beans, sherry, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pumpkin shell. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. (Thicker pumpkins will take longer, up to 1 1/2 hours.)

Carefully transfer the pumpkin to a large shallow bowl or platter (Take special care because the shell may be soft in places.) If the stew has become too thick to suit you, gently stir in some warm vegetable stock or chicken broth.

For each serving, use a large spoon to scoop out a wedge of cooked pumpkin; place in the bottom of a soup bowl. Top with the stew.

Advance preparation
Cook the stew on the stove early the day it is to be served; refrigerate in a covered container. Bake it in the pumpkin just before serving.

Recipe from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell.

See October 27, 2009 post for menu ideas.

Pumpkin Stew

What is labeled a “yam” at the supermarket most likely is an “orange sweet potato.” These have a dark, uniformly colored brown skin, a shape that tapers on both ends, a bright orange flesh, and a sweet flavor when cooked. White sweet potatoes have a lighter, thinner skin, pale yellow flesh, and a less sweet flavor. Store sweet potatoes unwrapped in a cool, dry, dark, and well-ventilated place for up to 2 weeks. Do not refrigerate.