Chowing on clam chowder

A friend went clam-digging and shared some quahogs (pronounced "co-hogs"). Joy! Mollusks with pretty purple on the inside of their thick shells, quahogs make tasty chowder. The native Wampanoags used the purple and white shells as wampum, a form of currency. Polished, it makes attractive jewelry. Of course, the Wampanoags ate the clams, as did the Pilgrims. Local shellfish, plentiful and fresh, figured heavily in the early Colonial diet.

Everyone has a favorite chowder recipe. Mine is very old-fashioned, a distant relative of restaurant chowder. It's not as thick, and it has more flavor. The best part: It calls for steaming the clams instead of opening them live. This yields the clam broth you need for the chowder and eliminates opportunity for injury. It also lets you know definitively if a clam is good to eat. Clams should be alive until cooked. Their shells should be closed before cooking and wide-open after cooking.

New England clam chowder

About a dozen medium to large clams

Two ¼-inch slabs of salt pork, finely diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup crushed plain crackers (such as Saltines)

2 cups clam broth (leftover from steaming the clams)

1 bay leaf

2 large potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 to 2 cups half-and-half

Scrub the clams and place in large pot with two cups of water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to steam the clams. This takes only a few minutes. Discard any clams that did not open. Remove clams and strain broth through cheesecloth. Set aside. In a large pan, try out (render) salt pork over medium-high heat. When the bits are crispy and there’s fat in the pan, add onion. Cook until soft. Add crushed crackers and then the clam broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender. While potatoes are cooking, remove meat from clam shells and chop. Add chopped clams to chowder and heat through. Lower heat and add milk, half-and-half or cream. Heat to serving temperature. Avoid boiling. Serves four to six. This tastes even better the next day.

Boiled dinner: corned beef and cabbage

Corned beef goes on sale in the markets this time of year because in New England corned beef and cabbage is traditional St. Patrick’s Day fare. This resulted when Boston Irish adopted the traditional New England boiled dinner to celebrate the saint--and their heritage. In Ireland, folks don’t know a thing about this tradition. They’re more likely to eat stew or bangers and mash on March 17. Whether you’re Irish or not, a sale on corned beef provides a great excuse for an easy and delicious New England boiled dinner. While the meat is simmering, you are free to do other things around the house or garden. New Englanders traditionally use the gray corned beef, which is cured without sodium nitrate. If the corned beef you buy comes with a spice packet, you can use it in place of the spices listed in this recipe:

New England boiled dinner

2 - to 3-pound gray corned beef brisket

6 peppercorns

6 coriander seeds

½ teaspoon thyme or dill

½ teaspoon celery flakes

1 bay leaf

1 small head of cabbage, quartered

4 large carrots, peeled

4 medium potatoes, peeled

Rinse corned beef. Place in a large pot, fat side up, along with herbs and spices. Cover with water. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. After about 15 minutes, skim any scum. Cover and cook on low heat for about three hours. Then add potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Boil on low for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Serves four.