One Last Slow Cooked Summer Dinner

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

Although summer is not officially over until late September, Labor Day weekend seems to mark the end (or the beginning of the end) for many of us. It is the close of vacation season, time for back-to-school and the end-of-summer Fridays at work for those that are lucky enough to get them.

You can keep the ease of summer going with a Labor Day meal cooked in the slow cooker. To me, there is nothing that says summertime more than a casual seafood dinner, preferably eaten outside. On a recent trip to Maine, we visited several lobster pounds (a seafood restaurant that is usually right on the dock where the lobstermen bring in their catch). We had many wonderful outdoor meals of steamed lobster, clams, and chowder. One of our most memorable dinners was a clambake involving a boat trip to an island where we feasted on all of the above items plus corn, baked potatoes, and delicious blueberry cake for dessert.

It is easy to make seafood chowder right in the slow cooker. Two of my favorites while on vacation were haddock chowder and clam chowder. Both start with a simple but flavorful cream base that is then enriched with spices and plenty of fresh white fish or clams. The long slow cooking allows the flavors to meld together into a simple and creamy soup. You can make it a little fancier with the addition of corn or chopped bell peppers, but these items do not usually make it into a traditional chowder. The finished chowder is best simply topped with a handful of oyster crackers and is rich enough to be a meal on its own.

There are many other regional styles of ‘boils’ and ‘bakes’ in which some combination of shellfish is simmered, boiled, or steamed. Sometimes, the seafood is seasoned with a special mix of spices and usually served with melted butter, corn on the cob, potatoes, or another veggie. Close to where I grew up, steamed spiced Maryland crabs are the hottest thing around in the summertime. And each summer I still look forward to the messy tradition of picking some crabs.

Another seafood dish with the interesting name of Frogmore stew, or low country boil, combines a few of those essential ingredients into a hearty one-pot meal. This dish originated in a small town of the same name in coastal South Carolina, and was created by a shrimp fisherman. It includes shrimp in the shell, new potatoes, corn on the cob, and smoked sausage, all cooked in a savory broth. Frogmore stew can be made and served from the crockpot, and is perfect for a relaxed end of the summer party. Like any other seafood dinner, it is best accompanied by a couple of frosty mugs of beer and some fresh air— served on a newspaper-covered picnic table.

So enjoy these last few fleeting days of warm weather and take it easy this Labor Day with a traditional summer seafood feast!

Serves/Makes: 8

• 4 quarts cold water
• 1/4 cup Old Bay or other spicy seasoning
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
• 4 ears corn, shucked, each cut into 4 pieces
• 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch slices
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, in the shell, deveined