Saffron Cream recipe is now attached.

STUFFED PUMPKINS WITH SAFFRON CREAM

7 baseball-size sugar pumpkins

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided use

1 1/2 pounds fresh sea scallops

2 sticks of unsalted butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup dried cranberries

1 pint spiced rum

8 ounces baby spinach

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 pound diced stale bread, crust removed

Saffron Cream Sauce (see recipe below)

To cook the pumpkins, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash pumpkins thoroughly, pat dry, then coat lightly with some of the olive oil. Bake pumpkins on a cookie sheet with rack for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes (or until soft to the touch).

Remove from oven and let cool. Peel and dice one of the pumpkins. Set aside.

Cut off the top of remaining six pumpkins, 1/3 of the way down the pumpkin with a serrated knife, and reserve. Using a serving spoon, scoop the seeds completely out, soak seeds covered completely in cold water. Use your hands to separate the seeds from the pulp. Once all of the seeds are clean, put in a strainer, and rinse. Pat the seeds dry and place on a cookie sheet with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, apple pie spice and Cajun seasoning. Mix to coat evenly, and bake in the oven at 425 degrees, mixing occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes or until toasted.

For the stuffing, heat a large skillet (or roasting pan) on the stovetop, with a medium-high heat and 1/4 cup of olive oil. When oil is hot, add the scallops. Make sure they are patted dry and not wet when putting in the oil. Cook until brown on one side, flip over then add the butter, brown sugar, the reserved pumpkin and cranberries. When the butter is melted, add the rum, spinach, salt and pepper. After all of the ingredients are incorporated, mix in the bread until the butter mixture is completely absorbed, then remove from heat.

The stuffing is now ready to be evenly distributed into the six pumpkins. After the pumpkins are stuffed, replace tops of the pumpkins and put back on sheet tray and heat in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes at 425 degrees or until ready to serve.

Or, the recipe could be done several hours in advance and held in the oven at 275 to 300 degrees.

For the presentation, on each plate, spoon equal amounts of saffron cream, sprinkle with the toasted seeds, and set the pumpkin in the middle. Garnish with chopped spinach if desired.

Serves 6 to 12.

SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE

2 shallots (chopped)

3 cups white wine

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (mix of rosemary, thyme, sage, chervil)

1 tablespoons Spanish saffron

2 cups heavy cream

Pinch of salt

In a small saucepan, place the shallots, white wine, peppercorns and herbs. Cook on a medium heat, and reduce by a third. After the wine has cooked down, strain and reserve liquid and discard shallots etc. Add the wine back to the saucepan with the saffron and heavy cream and continue to cook until reduced by half and taste to adjust seasonings and remove from heat.