when your friend texts you and says “i have 18 clams. oh by the way, i dug them up myself. oh and, do you want them?” you don’t say no.
you scream yes!!!
because seriously, clams scream summer. right? yeah, right, they totally do.
and if i was on the cape, i would be enjoying me some clams right now. on the beach. reading a book. drinking a cocktail.
grill them, when they open up add butter, sprinkle with herbs. make soup. cause chowder is the best (recipe to come). steam them with white wine and garlic. toss in some chili peppers. i can go on…i need more clams.
hey, clam lady, start digging (wink wink).
i’m only kind of kidding. kind of.
but this is easy, an when you’re done prepping, before you know it, you have dinner.
yummy dinner, and please, by all means, toast some udi’s and get dippin’ cause you can’t not dip…you just have to dip. please.
happy clam day…well, you know, go clamming. send me some.
summer clams…
- olive oil (about 2 tbl) or bacon fat
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 roasted peppers chopped
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tsp of capers
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup canned or fresh whole tomatoes chopped with their juices
- about 18 clams
- salt and pepper
- handful of basil
- handful of fresh parsley
- add a little oil or fat to a pot that has a cover. sauté onion for 2 minutes, add pepper and garlic, sauté for another couple minutes more until onions soften and become translucent, about 4 minutes.
- add wine and bring to a boil. add tomatoes and basil, mix. season with salt and pepper.
- add clams and cover pot. cook for about 8-10 minutes or until clams have opened.
- sprinkle with parsley and serve.
just a note: bacon fat adds a little something something to this dish. please feel free to use olive oil. but, bacon fat is the way to go. i keep a tub of bacon fat in my fridge that i dig into once in a while for dishes like this.
serve with gf pasta, or regular if you like, and make sure to have some kind of bread on hand to dunk. a udi’s hotdog roll smothered in butter and toasted works well.
More to come, hopefully before next summer.