When we were in Seaside, Oregon, last month we tried something new.  We headed down to Kelly’s Brighton Marina, in Rockaway Beach. We rented a boat and took the boys crabbing and clamming.  We decided not to bring the little girls along, mainly because we didn’t think they’d have the patience for it. (They really would have had a blast too!)

We took the boat over to a beach which was filled with clams.  They weren’t the type of clams you have chase and dig quickly for.  These clams were just sitting in the sand.  All you had to do was move the sand a little, and there they were.

We all loved the little inlet.  This is a view of Kelly’s from the beach we went to. 

 We easily dug our limit of clams in about 20 minutes.  Over 200 hundred clams!  Can you believe it?

They cook and clean the crab for you right there at the dock.  We bought a few extra, to be sure we’d all have plenty of crab to eat.

10 pounds small clams, scrubbed and rinsed, steamed and opened clams (discard shells – duh!)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1or 2 bottles of clam nectar (1 for thick chowder and 2 for thinner chowder

3 tablespoons flour mixed with 1/2 cup water (to thicken)

I chop the potatoes into small bite-size cubes and boil them for about 8 minutes, until they are soft.  Then set the potatoes aside.  I melt the butter in a fry pan and saute the garlic and onion, just until soft. Then, put all of the chowder ingredients into a large pot and gently simmer, covered, to allow the flavors to come together. Place the pot over low heat, being careful not to let boil.  If it’s too thin, you can always add more of the flour/water combination to thicken it.