I'm watching it git bigger..and bigger..and bigger!..

[oldfart]

Folks I don't know how many of ya'll have ever had this happen. I rekkin' most folks have. See, in cold weather one of my favorite things is to make soups and chowders an such. What? What'd ya'll think I was talking about? O.K. anyways....Ms. Carol brought me over a big bag of clams t'other day and after steaming them off I wound up with a bowl full'a clam-broth left in the steamer. Now bein' the frugal man I am it just didn't sit right with me to waste all that good clam-broth. Ahhh..New England Clam Chowder!! One of my favorites! A few taters was diced up and tossed in the 2qt. saucepan with a handfull'a diced carrots, a nudge of bacon bits and some dried celery...a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. After simmering a spell I poured that into a bit bigger bowl and commenced to make a fine roux of butter, flour&milk in the saucepan..which it rapidly outgrew. Transferred it into the 4qt. pot and thickened the roux and added a tad more milk..then the partially cooked taters, carrots and other ingredients. Then 1 can of minced clams..and then a second can. (sighhhh...) Then I reached for the 16qt. stockpot as this thing just keeps growing and growing! At present I'm perched on the sink stirring up a canner full'a New England Clam Chowder with a canoe paddle and eyeballing the neighbors washtub he keeps for butcherin' hogs! Is it just me or does this happen to everyone? Gott'a run! Ya'll be blessed this weekend! Chef Audie...the Oldfart...

[SpongeBob]

I'm sort of an 'Ol Salt.......so this recipe sounds pretty good to me. But instead of using the neighbors hog roasting tub, I'd use the canoe where you got the stirring paddle from. Can I bring crutons?

-Bob

[Yanita]

LOL Audie,

Yup, certain foods seem to grow around here as well, specifically soups and chowders, never seem to have a big enough pot, and yup, only feeding the 2 of us!

If you need a place to "store" the clam chowder feel free to let me know LOL, I'll send you my address!

Yanita

[Harry]

Hi

Try this:

Seafood Clam Pie

Quarter pound of bacon and fry out the fat.Cut 2 dozen clams in halves, being careful to save the liquor.Cut 1 onion and 6 potatoes into small pieces. Add clams, onion and potato to the hot pork fat. Cook a few minutes, and then pour in the clam liquor. Cook slowly until the potatoes are done, adding a bit of water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Make a rich pie dough. Roll thin and line bottom and sides of shallow baking dish, pour the cooked clam mixture into the pie shell. Cover with upper crust and bake in hot oven until the crust is brown.

I live near Cedar Key...USAs #1 producer of farm raised clams.

Harry

[texasprairierose]

Harry,

We were just in Florida over the holidays visiting some friends near Gainsville, and they took us to Cedar Key! It was beautiful...we ate at a restaurant on the water; I ordered the special "soft shell crab sandwich". I was expecting it to be a crab cake on bread, but it was a whole crab that had been battered and deep fried!! I wasn't expecting that!! It tasted ok but I had a hard time with the visual!

dianeintexas

[Harry]

Hi

Yep, good eating those soft shell crab. We dust them with flour and fry em in a skillet. Put them on white bread and mayonaise.

Harry