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.