A summer crab feast and corn and fennel chowder recipe
There have been many picnics this summer.
Some planned, some completely spontaneous. Some pretty, some messy, but all of them with great company. The thing I like about picnics isn’t necessarily the food. Yes, that’s the ultimate incentive and satisfier, but getting together with friends and children on a sunny summer’s day somehow makes summer actually feel like such. It’s not the heat and the sun, but the gatherings.
This past weekend, I hosted a 3-day food styling and photography workshop in Seattle partnering with Angela Ritchie of Ace Camps. For one of the assignments for the styling and photography session, I recruited my friend and stylist Jenn Elliott-Blake to assist me create a summer beach picnic at Discovery Park. It was a hot summer’s day and Jenn created a canopy out of driftwood she found at the beach. She created a quilt with different fabrics she pinned together and draped it over the wood structure. It was the perfect shelter for the smoldering heat. Students witnessed all it takes to create a set and all the production that is involved when shooting lifestyle stories on location.
I found beautiful already-cooked crab at Pike Place Market and brought them to the beach for our picnic. Cheese and charcuterie board, grilled fennel with lemons, roasted carrots and a corn and fennel chowder. All prepared ahead of time by chef Alison Bell and easy to transport to the beach.
I could have a picnic every single day of summer. In fact, I feel like I almost have. Enjoy.
The beach picnic essentials checklist:
Charcuterie
Olives
Cheese
Bread
Anchovies
Pink lemonade
Grilled fennel and lemons
Roasted carrots with paprika
Cooked whole crab (you can ask your fishmonger to clean the guts if you wish)
Corn and fennel chowder (recipe follows)
Don’t forget a wide beach blanket, dishes and flatware!
Corn and fennel chowder
serves 6
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium fennel bulb, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Bunch of thyme sprigs
5 ears white corn, kernels removed
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups half and half
Salt and pepper
Dill flowers, optional
Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, fennel, celery, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender but not browned over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
Add the corn kernels and stir. Add the chicken stock and half and half. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with dill flowers, optional.
So pretty Aran! Summer and picnics are the best.
They are indeed. Hope you are enjoying them as well.
This is so lovely! Thanks for sharing these images and the chowder recipe with us. It’s an honour to be a witness of your truly inspiring work, Aran. Even more now that you’re based in Seattle. I don’t know…you and your work seem to really glow these days.
Greetings all the way from Scandinavia,
Sini
Thank you so much Sini. That is so nice to hear, really. Seattle suits me well and I have found such a community and environment here. Have a great summer.
Something about the sea sets a magical feel for a picnic; we remember the feeling from our recent trip to PEI.
Your setting is just dreamy. Wish I could have been there!
I would have loved to been at PEI with you. Looked so beautiful!
The photos are so beautiful and your writing, like always, goes straight to the heart.
I will going to make this soup, very soon,for sure.
Ruthi Carmi, http://www.mevashlimsfarim.com
I hope you will like it and thank you!
A fabulous feast and perfect place for spending some quality time.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa.
Just stunning, this picnic looks like a piece of heaven.
Thank you!
It truly looks like you had your picnics in paradise! Love the coral color of the crab, and the chowder sounds heavenly!
The coral of the crab is so beautiful, isn’t it? So photogenic :)
The enamel dishes you used are a perfect fit: rustic and durable but stylish. I need to go on a picnic now!
Vintage enamel is the quintessential summer tableware :)
we are so in love with these pictures!! and everything looks so delicious!
great work!!
x
laura&nora
So kind. Thank you!
Hi Aran, I really enjoyed your post; back here in Amsterdam it feels like the summer is coming to an end, but through your post it lingers on, at least in the mind….
Maybe this is an ignorant question in which case I’m sorry, but what is half and half….would love to make the chowder! Best regards, Reina
No ignorant question :)
Half and half is a dairy product you can find in the Us that is half whole milk and half heavy cream so you could use a mixture of both. Even regular whole milk or a lighter cream could work. Would change the texture slightly though but would taste good. Thanks.
Your work always blows me away. Just once I’d like to have a photo so beautiful.
Thank you very much Linda.
This park is the best!! I was in the same spot when we were there for the day (only it was slightly chillier) ;) Beautiful Aran…can’t wait to be back soon!!
I will see you soon. Cannot wait!
[…] forgotten I wanted to share some photos of our day at Discovery Park until I recently saw my friend Aran’s beautiful post! So while it was grey and chilly, this was one of my favorite days in Seattle. A park on the sea, […]
So beautiful! When viewing these pictures I definitely forget all the work that goes into making it look like just another casual picnic on the beach!
[…] image via canelle vanille […]
I wish I still live in Washington so that I could join in one of your workshop – it is one in my bucket list. As always, very beautiful photos. At first I thought it was a magazine shoot and when I read your post, I was peaked that it was the workshop..
[…] Summer crab feast?? Count me in! […]
I love your work but I guess you know it! So much light. Here we are turning to autumn. I miss summer already but I have to say I like autumn too. ..and you know I have still few Iceland pics to do list..coming up in some point. I let you know. I hope you have wonderful week Aran!
xo
Kreetta
thank you Kreetta. I just posted the photos and I have more to come. have a great week. miss you!
[…] you forgive me for posting two picnic stories in a row? As I mentioned on my last post, there have been so many picnics this summer. Most of them in Seattle, but I have to tell you I […]
Yay I’m so glad you posted the recipe for the chowder — I’ve been thinking of it ever since this picnic! Perfect timing too — we’re having a cold spell in San Francisco and chowder is just the ticket =)
Hi Jessica, I hope you will make it! x
It all looks beautiful. And I love the picnic basket essentials :)
[…] reason for outdoor entertaining, light and floral cocktails, fresh summer vegetable dishes, seafood bakes and barbecues, colorful ice cream cones, and endless ways to eat toasted […]
[…] Bonus: If you’re curious about cooking up some of that summer corn and fennel chowder for yourself, check out local blogger, Cannelle et Vanille has the recipe. […]
[…] Aran Goyoaga vit désormais aux États-Unis. C’est en 2010 qu’elle a commencé à créer des recettes sans gluten pour s’adapter à son nouveau régime alimentaire. Mais ses sources d’inspiration sont restées les mêmes : la cannelle et la vanille (les deux goûts de son enfance qui donnent leur nom au blog) et les saisons qui passent (avec la nature qui offre chaque jour des produits nouveaux). Pour l’hiver, on adore sa recette de gâteau aux agrumes anti-déprime saisonnière. Au printemps, on testera au petit-dèj son assiette de brocoli-rave rôti, œufs frits, avocat et chimichurri. (Pour ceux qui ne savent pas encore ce qu’est le brocoli-rave, il suffit de jeter un petit coup d’œil à cet article !). Et vivement l’été prochain pour une soupe crémeuse crabe, fenouil et maïs ! […]