Clams

I suppose I need to get back in the habit of doing this blog!! This past week-end I went to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market on Richmond which was a really nice day out with my parents and granny who is in town! It was such a lovely day, and the market wasn't too big for us to walk around. There was everything from fresh vegetables,eggs which we got a lot of because they were so fresh and way better than store bought (the ones we bought were fed twice as much flax seed which made the yolks so yellow) strawberries, lots of fresh lettuces, herbs, homemade breads, soaps, cheeses, I managed to get some fresh culinary lavender, lavender sugar, and a lavender rub, and there were stands selling homemade foods to eat while you were there. You really should check out local farmers markets and support your local growers. It will always be organic, affordable, and so fresh! So Sunday was then Mother's Day in England, so of course I had to do something because we're english and my granny was here. I made a lovely breakfast of Mimosa sunrises ( 1/2 oz grenadine, 1 oz orange juice, and then topped off with champagne and an orange slice), eggs benedict with my speciality of hollandaise sauce which I will never give the recipe out for, I made my mum's and granny's with smoked salmon, and ham for my dad and I because we don't eat seafood, and a fresh fruit salad which we ate outside by the pool. For dinner, I did clams for mum and granny my mum ended up having all of them which made her very happy because my granny was being weird? health wise and was sleeping during that part. For my dad and I, I made tricolore which is tomato, avocado, and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and some fresh basil from my garden. Then roast pheasant, roast potatoes, roast parsnips and brocollini. For dessert I made chocolate mousse with cointreau. The recipe I'm going to give you is for the clams. First off buy your clams either the day before or the day that you're going to use them, they shouldn't be older than that. Also to keep them overnight if you do buy them the day before NEVER put them on ice, in water, or in an airtight container because they will die!! Keep them in container with the lid open a little bit, covered with a damp cloth (I used just kitchen towel). So where I bought them they only came by the dozen, not by ounces or pounds, so I got 24 clams. If you get them in a good grocery store, they should be cleaned up already, and make sure they smell like the ocean, if they smell funky to you, don't risk it. So then in a large stock pot I softened 2 shallots in about 2 tablespoons of oil (sunflower or just olive will be fine). Then when they were soft I tossed in some chopped thyme, about 1 tablespoon, a splash of dry white wine and the clams. Immediately put the lid on top of the pan, give them a quick shake in the pan, and let them steam for 4-5 minutes. Also I should mention, if you find any clams that are open slightly, give them a little tap and if they close they're still alive, if they do not close they're dead and you should throw them away. Now after about 4 minutes lift the lid slightly to see if they've opened cause that's when they're done and if you cook them too long they'll go horrible. Scoop the clams out with a slotted spoon (one with holes) and put in a bowl. In the sauce a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, a little bit of salt and pepper, and about a tablespoon ob aioli. I made my aioli by taking about 3 large spoons of mayo, 5 chopped garlic cloves (very finely chopped), some orange zest, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of milk or half and half, and some salt and pepper. Stir some of that into the sauce and pour over the clams. Serve with the rest of the aioli and some nice crusty bread. This is a very healthy and light meal ,but in the summer it will be hard because shellfish should really only be bought in months that have an R in them, but you can ask your fishmonger.