First let me say a most gracious thank you to all you who wished me and my peeps well this past holiday season. I truly hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday and I hope that the new year brings much love, luck, prosperity, and of course, great dishes!

How the time flies! January 2nd marked my one year anniversary as a blogger. I have to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed this venture and I plan on giving it my all to “bring-it” in this new year.

I really want to thank all of you who have encouraged me with your comments, inspired me with your blogs, and who have become close virtual friends out here is this vast blogosphere. I really appreciate everything you guys do.

Behold my favorite soup of all time. Well technically it is clam chowder without the corn that is my all time favorite, but this time I had leftover corn so I went crazy with the dish and radically added corn to it.



I may have mentioned a time or two that I am a huge clam lover; most seafood actually, but when you combine bacony lardons, semi firm potatoes, herbs, white pepper, and cream, with clams, well, put on a DVD, ladle me a bowl and pass the oyster crackers, it’s comfort time.



I am not much for the Manhattan style of clam chowder. I mean I like it, but I much prefer the New England syle - creamy over tomato-y. I have the same preference when it comes to linguine and clams; white sauce over the red.



Most every recipe that I have seen for clam chowder uses canned clams. Now I have used canned clams in the past for pasta dishes and the like, but I found a jewel in the frozen variety. The only place that I have seen the frozen shucked clams is at Whole Paychex, although I’d be willing to bet the Trader Joe’s carries something similar. Whole Foods carries them in 14oz containers and they are sweet, succulent, and relatively inexpensive. If you are going to make this, try to locate the frozen clams. You’ll thank me for it.

This is a simple and easy preparation. I got started and within an hour, we were sitting down to enjoy a satisfying lunch and a ball game.

...

Clam and Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

4 rashers good bacon cut into lardons
1 14 oz container frozen chopped clams (or two cans chopped clams not minced) do not drain
3-4 medium new potatoes cubed
2 cups corn (I used leftover cooked corn)
1 medium onion diced
1 cup clam juice
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3 tbsp flour
1-2 bay leaves
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
~2 tsp white pepper
salt

METHOD:

1. In a stock pot, render bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.

2. Add onion to bacon drippings; sauté until softened. Add potatoes and clam juice, bay leaf, salt to taste, and white pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.

3. Whisk flour into the milk and add to the pot along with the cream, remaining herbs, and corn. Cover and simmer until thickened - about 20-25 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

4. Ladle into bowls. Add bacon and garnish with oyster crackers.