4 miniature pumpkins
meat of two 2 lb.lobsters,
     or 12 oz.lobster meat
4 oz.English peas
1 medium buttered squash,peeled
tablespoon of green parsley
1 quart of whole milk
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
4 tablespoons of butter
4 teaspoons of brandyCook whole pumpkins in boiling water for about 6 minutes. Then straight-cut the top offpumpkins about two inches below stem, and remove seeds. Season with salt and pepper.

Butternut squash sauce: Cut up peeled squash in chunks and boil squash in milk, add salt andpepper. Once squash is cooked, mix milk, squash, in a blender, then strain into fine china cup.

Blanche English peas in salted boiling water, cook for 3 minutes. Cool peas in ice water.

With live lobster - cook the lobster in boiling water with a pinch of salt, one bay leaf andone juniper berry. Cook lobster 8 minutes for a two-pound lobster. Then cool off in ice waterand remove meat from shell. Or use lobster meat (already cleaned.)

Sauté the shallots in butter, then add lobster meat and English peas, and cook for one minute.Deglaze with brandy and continue to cook for another minute. Mix sauce into lobster ragout— keep 1/4 cup aside for plating. Add chopped parsley — keep a few pinched for garnish.

Set pumpkins on individual plates — lids off. Fill each pumpkin with lobster ragout. Drizzleremaining sauce around base of pumpkin. Sprinkle remaining parsley on top of ragout.Replace pumpkin stem (as lid) atop pumpkin.

5 oz.salted pork, julienned
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, peeled and julienned (11 oz.)
19 oz. chestnuts, peeled
6 cups veal stock
2 dried bay leaves
4 fried sage leavesIn a medium saucepan, combine olive oil, salted pork and onions and cook over mediumheat for 3 minutes. Add chestnuts and continue to cook for an additional 9 minutes;add veal stock and bay leaves. Cook until mixture reaches a boil, then reduce heat tolow. Simmer mixture for a total cook time of one hour and remove from heat. Remove bayleaves and pour contents of pan into blender, puree until smooth.

Pour soup into bowls and serve piping hot. Top with fried sage leaves.

For the Salad (Serves 6)
3 heads endive
1 head frisee,
     separated from the stem,
     cleaned and spun dry
1 small head of radicchio,
     cut into 1/2” bands
6 oz. port vinaigrette (see recipe)
1 medium red onion,
     cut into julienne
1/2 cup walnuts, roasted
     and finely chopped
9-12 oz. Maytag Blue Cheese
     OR blue cheese of your choice
3 pears, raw or
     poached (see recipe)Arrange 4 - 5 leaves of endive across the top of each plate. Toss together the frisee, radicchio,onions, walnuts and some of the port vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and addmore dressing,if necessary. Always be careful not to overdress. Drizzle a bit of dressing oneach endive leaf and place a fluffy cluster of the salad mix in the center of each plate atthe base of the endive leaves. Arrange fanned slices of pear wherever you like and sprinklesalad with crumbled blue cheese to taste.

Port Vinaigrette
     (Makes 3 1/2 cups)
2 cups port
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 shallots, diced
2 cups peanut oil
4 oz. walnut oilReduce 2 cups port to 1/2 cup. Combine reduced port, red wine vinegar, dijon mustardand shallots in a non reactive bowl. It is handy to put a wet towel under the bowl to helpkeep it in place while whisking. Whisk ingredients together and then emulsify with a steadydrizzle of peanut oil and then walnut oil. Taste for balance before all of the oil is added.More or less oil may be needed depending on the acidity of the vinegar. Season with salt andpepper. The vinaigrette will last a long time in the refrigerator.

Poached Pears
3 firm but ripe pears,
     peeled, stems left on
2 cups port
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla beanCombine the port, water, sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a small, non-reactive saucepan.Place the pears in the liquid which ideally should reach halfway up the pears (adjust withmore port/water/sugar if necessary). Bring to a boil and then let gently simmer, turning thepears occasionally so that all sides are coated. Cook until the pears are soft, about 45 minutes.Store pears in their poaching liquid. They can be prepared 2 - 3 days ahead and kept coveredin the refrigerator. The poaching liquid can be saved and used again or reduced to make asyrup or sauce for other uses.

1 lb. dry spelt lasagna sheet
1 lb. lobster meat
2 bunches broccoli rabe
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
3 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sauce made from lobster head and fresh tomatoCook lasagna sheet in boiling water and set on the side. Sauté lobster meat with half of thegarlic, adjusting salt and pepper. Sauté broccoli rabe with rest of olive oil and garlic. In apasta bowl set some of the sauce in the center, layer one piece of pasta, add broccoli rabe, andlayer another piece of pasta. Add lobster and finish with another piece of pasta and some ofthe sauce on top. Sprinkle with olive oil.