Steamers a summertime favorite

We love soft shell clams, hard shell clams, sea clams,

We love steamers, clam fritters, Lia's clam sauce, clam chowder, stuffed clams

also fried clams from Woodman's or The Lake House

 

 

today we are steaming up a bucketful of soft shell clams

with the promise of enough clams to have leftovers

 

 

first thing to do is put the clams in the sink

cover with water

swish around to wash off all the sand & mud

soak for 30 minutes

 

if you got your clams at the fish market rinsing won't be necessary

 

 

place all those beautiful babies into a large pot

add 1" of water or a can of beer

even better is a can of hard cider

today we have lemon hard cider - yummo

 

chop an onion into sixths place on clams

take some small cups that can handle the steam

add a couple tablespoons of butter

plop on top of the clams

keeping them straight up so the butter doesn't spill

 

Turn on high heat watch closely

clams will froth up quickly spilling into the butter

then all over the stove

turn down when the clams start steaming

 

clams are done when they open only 5-8 minutes

larger clams take longer

 

scoop clams into serving plate, pour hot clam juice into cups

for rinsing the clams before dipping in butter to eat

 

 

Steamers

3 lbs of clams will feed two as a meal
water or 1 can of beer or  1 can hard cider

Soak clams in cold water for 30 minutes.  Place clams in pan.  Cover bottom of pan with 1" of water or beer.  Add a couple of sliced onions.  Cover with a tight fitting lid.  Steam over low heat just until clams open, 5-8 minutes.

 

we freeze the leftover broth in 1 cup containers for making clam fritters, clam sauce, clam chowder,  & stuffed clams, mark containers if beer or cider is used since beer doesn't make a good clam sauce or chowder but makes a great fritter.

 

Lia’s Clam Sauce

1tbs olive oil
sauté 1 lg minced onion

add 1 stick butter
3 chopped garlic

add

1 bottle clam juice or 1 cup frozen clam juice
lots of oregano rubbed between hands to release flavor

1 can minced clams, if your lucky to have leftover small steamers toss some on top

or chopped fresh sea clams,

simmer

toss with

1pkg fettuccini, cooked

(Red pepper flakes) Lia doesn't add but I do

 

Bug Pie a summer time any time favorite

Bug Pie...............
                             We love my Mom's Grasshopper Pie

Lime Jello, Vanilla Ice cream, Ginger ale,

graham cracker crust

equals deliciousness

My son can't have lime so we morphed a 

Grasshopper into Fuzzy Bear Caterpillar

Orange Jello, Vanilla Ice cream, Ginger ale,

Chocolate Cookie Crust

yummy oh so yummy

maybe just a little bit of fuzzy

so many Bug Pies to eat

Lady Bug - Cherry Jello

Dragon Fly- Blue Raspberry Jello

Bumble Bee - Lemon Jello

Spider - Black Cherry Jello

 what bug would you like today?

sometimes the simplest ingredients make the best food

take the ice cream out of the freezer so if softens just a little

heat the ginger ale in a saucepan

add the jello

mix until the jello is dissolved

fold in the ice cream into the dissolved jello mixture

mix until ice cream is completely melted

top with whip cream

Enjoy!!

Mom has a thing for the Orange Cream Chocolates hence the Chocolate Cookie Crust

Cherry is also awesome with the chocolate cookie crust - just like a box of chocolates

if you don't want pie named after bugs..........

Grasshopper Pie

or any bug pie you feel like today

1 Prepared pie crust,   recipe below

1 box of lime jello or flavor of your bug choice
2 cups of ginger ale
1 pint of vanilla ice cream

Pour ginger ale in medium saucepan, bring to boil remove from heat

add jello, mix until completely dissolved

fold in icecream until completely mixed, cool slightly

pour into pie shell , chill until firm

top with whipcream to serve

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 3/4  cups  graham cracker crumbs

6  tbs butter, melted

  

or  Chocolate Cookie Pie Crust

1 3/4  cups  chocolate wafer cookies 8 1/2 oz pkg -- crushed

6  tbs butter, melted                                               

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add butter and blend well. Press firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate.

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.  Yield: 1 pie crust (9 inches).

Vanilla Wafers, Honey Nut Chex Cereal, Cheerios (now gluten free available) anything you like makes a great crumb for pie crusts.  I even use coconut macaroons but that's a recipe for another day.

Lobsters, crabs, scallops, Oh My!!

Seafood Stuffing is loaded with summers abundant supply of seafood
                                         more seafood than crumbs is always a good thing ;0)

 

thank you Bait Shop customers that keeps the lobsters, clams & haddock flowing in

 

 

Steam clams and enjoy save the broth for cooking with later

left over clams are great chopped and added to the stuffing or make a fresh clam chowder

 

Crabs are soooo sweet you just have to have patience to clean them
remember 1 for the stuffing 1 for the belly ratio 

 

 

great sides fresh local corn and baked stuffed potato salad

 

Enjoy!!!!

 

Seafood Stuffing

Serving Size  : 6   

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 stick  butter (1/2 cup)
1 red pepper minced

2  celery stalk minced

1-2 garlic cloves crushed depending on taste
Red pepper flakes or fresh red pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
Splash of Sherry to taste
1/2  pound  scallops cooked chopped or meat from 1 lobster
½ lb shrimp cooked chopped
1 container crab meat

Clams cooked, if stuffing clam shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In fry pan melt butter, add red pepper, celery, onion, garlic sauté slow about 20 minutes till translucent.   If using raw shrimp and scallops add during the last five minutes of sautéing.

Then add breadcrumbs, cool before adding parmesan cheese. A splash of sherry or white wine gives great zing.  Add seafood now if using cooked.

Stuff clam shells or

Lay fish in a baking dish then spread stuffing mixture over the top, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

This stuffing is even better when made at least a day before using when ready spread on fish, scallops or shrimp and bake.