I thought this would be a different, lighter way to use pumpkin this week. You can either use canned pumpkin purée that doesn’t have anything added, or roast a pumpkin and purée it in a blender - minus skin of course. These cakes make a pretty orange color and look really nice and fall-y when you cut into them. The pumpkin gives the dish a nice nutty flavor that’s not overly sweet and balances the sweetness of the crab. I think I’ll be doing some more refining on this recipe, but Johnathan and I were really happy with it. You can make these smaller for appetizers or serve 1 per person as a first course or light lunch. I just served them over mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette. Here’s how I did it:

Serves 2-4

1 - 7oz package lump crab meat (frozen or fresh)

1/3 cup pumpkin purée - canned or homemade

2 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon chives

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 clove crushed garlic

1 cup panko bread crumbs - I bought some chive panko bread crumbs from Whole Foods

salt and pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Score mixture with your hands, into 4 parts. Form each quarter into a patty. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, covered.

2. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large fry pan. Cook each patty about 2 minutes per side. Serve hot.

Tags: crab, crab cakes, pumpkin, salad