Literary Lunches: One Morning in Maine Clam Chowder

Today my son had an early release day from school.  He also has his first loose tooth!  To celebrate we are having clam chowder for lunch.  While it simmers on the stove we’ll read a book from one of my favorite children’s book authors, One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey.   Sal, the main character also has her first loose tooth!  Enjoy this sweet little story and simple chowder recipe with your little one.

Simple Clam Chowder
Marge Perry, Cooking Light  JANUARY 2008

Ingredients

·         2 bacon slices

·         2 cups chopped onion

·         1 1/4 cups chopped celery  

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·         2 garlic cloves, minced  

·         6 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained  

·         5 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)

·         4 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice

·         1 bay leaf

·         3 cups fat-free milk  

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)

Preparation

1.     Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, salt, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2.     Drain clams, reserving liquid. Add clam liquid, potato, clam juice, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Discard bay leaf.

3.     Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add clams; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon.

Literary Lunch: Blueberries for Sal

One thing I look forward to each summer is taking my boys blueberry picking.  I value the experience of bringing them to any fruit farm or orchard where they can take part in harvesting the crop, making the connection that our food comes from the earth, not the grocery store.  The pride my son has over his hard work is evident as he passes his bucket around our group for us to feel how heavy it is.  My guys are lucky to have grandparents who live next door to a pick-your-own blueberry farm (Berries & Blooms in Holden, MA) where kids are welcome.  Once we’ve lugged our buckets home we feast on a blueberry pancake lunch, make a fresh blueberry pie or just gobble up the sweet juicy berries leaving finger tips and mouths stained a lovely shade of purple. 

Blueberries are a particular favorite because of a beloved childhood book of mine “Blueberries for Sal”  by Robert McCloskey.  It’s the perfect book to share before or after an excursion to the blueberry patch and here is a recipe for making a simple and tasty treat: Sal’s Blueberry Hill.

Sal's Blueberry Hill

Ingredients:
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 Tb grape jam
1 Tb cornstarch
Ice cream
animal crackers (bears)

Directions:

1.       Heat berries in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

2.       Once they have defrosted and juices are flowing and warmed, add the jam and cornstarch.

3.       Stir constantly as the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.

4.       Spoon over a scoop of ice cream and top with bear animal crackers.