Clam It Up

Nothing is more appealing on a chilly day than a steaming bowl of thick clam chowder. Served with crusty bread and a simple dessert, it makes an easy-on-the-cook, very satisfying dinner.

The word “chowder” is from the French chaudiere, or large pot, in which fishermen from the small coastal villages of France would toss in pieces of fish that would slowly cook up into a hearty communal meal.

Clam chowder, seemingly related to this early fish chowder, traveled a culinary route into New England through French Canada. It is always white with milk or cream, not red with tomatoes. But I grew up in an Italian family where our chowder was always red. Probably related to the Neapolitan clam soups, red or Manhattan clam chowder is, despite its name, a far cry from the New England version.

My mother’s clam chowder was, and still is, famous among her family, friends and neighbors. She always begins with clams, preferably cherrystones, freshly steamed. She saves the precious clam broth and adds it along with Italian plum tomatoes to a mixture of onion, celery and garlic that has slowly cooked with diced bacon. Mom’s chowder is particularly hearty because she thickens the broth with barley and adds lots of vegetables (green beans, corn kernels and diced carrot).

MOM’S CLAM CHOWDER

2 strips bacon, cut into small pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 cups water

1 leafy celery top

1 bay leaf

1/2 small onion

Salt

2 dozen cherrystone or littleneck clams, shells scrubbed clean

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1/4 cup barley

1 carrot

1/2 cup cut green beans

1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels

Freshly ground black pepper

The barley will need at least 45 minutes to cook. If you want to take less time, substitute orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, for the barley. It will cook in about 15 minutes.

Cook bacon in large saucepan until fat is partially rendered and bacon is beginning to brown. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme. Cook, covered, over low heat until vegetables are very soft but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine water, celery top, bay leaf, 1/2 onion and salt in large saucepan. Cover and bring to boil. Add clams. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until clams are opened, about 5 minutes. Remove opened clams to side dish. Leave unopened clams in boiling broth. Cover and steam until all clams are opened.

Set strainer over large bowl and strain clams from broth. Cool clams slightly. Remove from shells and discard shells. Reserve clams and broth separately.

Combine tomatoes with juice, clam broth and barley in large saucepan. Break tomatoes up with side of large spoon or crush against side of pan. Cover and cook until barley is very soft, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, use kitchen shears to cut clams into small pieces. Dice reserved carrot.

When barley is tender, add green beans, carrot, corn and cooked clams. Add sauteed vegetables. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 hearty servings.

Each serving contains about:

238 calories; 846 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 2.33 grams fiber.

QUICK APPLE CRISP

You can serve the crisp warm with ice cream, frozen vanilla yogurt or whipping cream.

2 large golden delicious apples, washed, not peeled

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Quarter apples and cut out core. Slice into thin wedges directly into buttered 9- or 10-inch pie pan.

Process brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in food processor just until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 400 degrees until apples are tender and crumbs browned, about 35 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

293 calories; 10 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.39 gram fiber.