Thursday, August 23, 2012

"Eat food you grow," part 3

Quahogs we dug ourselves steamed in their own juices served with the
spaghetti dish described in Part 1 and a garden tomato salad.
Part 1: The Pasta-sauce Variations
Part 2: The Salad Variations
Part 3: The Quahog Variations

By Linda Felaco


Rhode Island chowder and clamcakes, made with quahogs we dug ourselves.
(The Asti is of course imported.)
To make a traditional Rhode Island chowder, boil a few potatoes and an onion with some salt pork and at least a cup of clams, chopped. Traditionally, you're supposed to shuck the clams rather than steam them, but having tried it both ways, I haven't been able to figure out how it makes a difference to the final result. Plus you're much less likely to cut yourself if you steam them open, and you can use the broth in the chowder. Steam them just enough to get them to open, since they'll continue cooking in the chowder.

All summer on a plate.
The clamcakes are made with Kenyon's clam cake mix, which can be purchased at Rippy's or Stop & Shop. Kenyon's Grist Mill in nearby Usquepaugh, RI, is "the oldest manufacturing business in Rhode Island, and the second oldest continuously operating business in the state" and has "been grinding meals & flours on site since 1696." We follow the recipe except that in place of water, we use the broth from steaming the clams to make the cakes more flavorful.