November 22, 2013 Dinner –Outer Banks Clam Chowder

November 22, 2013 Dinner –Outer Banks Clam Chowder

I finally had a day free from litigation and negotiation.  After lunch I had a doctor’s appointment up on Wyoming at Academy.  My blood pressure was the lowest level it has been in recorded memory, perhaps due to my giving up chocolate and the abundance of sweet desserts I usually eat.  So I stopped at Nantucket Shoals for a 1 lb. bag of crawfish tails ($14.95), where I said hello to Nancy and then went next door to the Sprouts store at San Mateo and Academy to see what specials they had.  I was amazed to see that the Sprouts’ meat counter now is carrying mollusks: little neck clams and black mussels for $2.99/lb. and beautiful big Cherrystone Clams for $1.99/lb.  I bought six good sized cherrystone clams for $4.90 and about ¾ lb. of bulk Italian Sausage also on sale for $1.99/lb.  Then I went to the produce section and bought a white acorn squash ($.99/lb.) to try and some lovely fresh string beans ($1.50/lb.) and couple of jewel yams ($.48/lb.).

After Sprouts, I had to go to deliver a check for my home insurance renewal on West Central, so I decided to stop at Pro’s Ranch Market on my way to the insurance office, where I bought 4 small avocados (2 for $.99), large red delicious apples ($.69/lb.), a bunch of cilantro ($.33), a handful of bean sprouts to make Vietnamese soups, small Roma tomatoes ($.89/lb.), a 10 lb. bag of Navajo Farm potatoes ($.99), some bananas ($.57/lb.) and a head of celery ($.50).

When I got home,  I put the cherrystone clams in a bowl filled with ice cubes and water so they could stay fresh and filter and discharge some of their dirt.

Taunya Frank, our kitchen designer from Poulin Remodeling, came at 4:30 to go over possible designs for remodeling the kitchen.  When she left at 6:00 p.m. we decided to make clam chowder with the Cherrystone clams and Suzette knew exactly the recipe to use.  She grabbed her Williamsburg Cookbook and quickly found a recipe for Outer Banks Clam Chowder that called for 12 large clams. 

 Here is the recipe:

 

While Suzette steamed the clams open, I chopped up one large onion, about ¾ cup of celery, and 3 of the smaller fresh potatoes.
Then Suzette sautéed the ingredients in a large enameled Le Creuset casserole in 2 Tbsps. of butter and when softened, added the strained stock and cream and seasonings, while I diced the steamed clams. After adding the clams to casserole, voila, we had a casserole full of Outer Banks Clam Chowder.   

Since we had made a bucket of cream of carrot and ginger soup last Sunday, we ate a bowl of it and then watched a movie on T.V.  The carrot soup’s flavors had coalesced and tasted great.  But during the movie I could not resist the Clam Chowder and I sneaked off to the kitchen and heated up the chowder and ate three bowls of it. 

We are also cutting down on our wine consumption, so no wine with dinner although Suzette used some of the PPI Gruet Blanc de Noir champagne from last night's book club meeting instead of water in the Clam Chowder.

It is great to be back on my regular schedule of shopping, cooking and eating.

Bon Appétit