Chesapeakecuisine: Eastern Shore Clam Chowder

I love summer. No question about it. I love spending time on the water in shorts and a t-shirt, and usually if I need to find a "happy place" I daydream about the tropical waters of the keys. However, the change of season from summer to fall is probably my favorite time of year. The change that goes with spring is great also, but what gives fall the edge are the incredible foods that go with this time of year. So, when I let the dog out this morning, I felt the rush of cool air come in through the back door and it alerted my senses to the impending cool down. The air had that fall smell to it, and the refreshing crisp feel of autumn. I immediately started thinking about 3 things. Bigger fish coming back into the bay, Venison coming back into our house, and coming home to a hot bowl of soup after a long chilly day spent chasing either of the first two.

I like to make a big pot early in the week so that I have enough for lunch for a couple days afterward. I love soup with lunch, and often times I just have the soup and forget the salad or sandwich that usually accompanies a bowl. One of my favorites is Eastern Shore Clam Chowder. This one is made with fresh clams that we dug ourselves from the salty marshes behind Ocean City, MD and Delaware resort towns. They are plentiful in the shallows on a low tide, and we had a good summer digging them out of the sand. We were able to save some in the freezer, along with clam liquor after steaming them. Here's the recipe with the alternative ingredients just in case you do not have your own fresh clams or fresh clam liquor from a summer trip to the beach.

1.5 pound of fresh clam meat chopped in a food processor (or two 14.5 ounce cans of chopped clams)

3 cups of reserved clam liquor (this is the juice left in the pot after steaming fresh clams) or 3 cups of bottled clam juice

4 slices of bacon cut in small pieces

3 carrots diced

3 ribs celery diced

1 medium onion diced

1 green pepper diced

3 white or red potatoes diced

1 28 ounce can tomatoes chopped

1.5 cups of water

1 Tbsp fresh Thyme chopped (1 tsp of dried)

1 tsp of dried parsley

In a soup pot, add bacon and fry until just starting to crisp (about 3-5 minutes). Add carrots, celery, onion, and green pepper and saute over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften. Be sure to scrape the fond left on the bottom of the pot from frying the bacon. This has a lot of great flavor and when you add the vegetables and start to saute them, it will be easier to scrape.