Long Island Clams

Yesterday our friends Mike and Linda brought by some fresh clams. They were absolutely delicious.

It is amazing how many memories a single taste can evoke. As I savored those treasures of the Great South Bay, my mind went back to places we had talked about together: Nathan's in Oceanside, where you could get clams on the half shell and some fresh lemon and seafood sauce. Then there were summer cookouts in the 60's and 70's. Clams always showed up and there was someone there who knew the fine art of shucking them.

One of my favorite clamming stories has become a favorite of my granddaughter's, Emma. We were at Jones Beach, somewhere around 1967. There was one of those sandbars that often form in the summer. People were running on it. Some kid started to dig and then a gold rush began. It was a bed of clams! people were running from every direction to dig. We got 90 clams as we filled buckets and bags and any other container we could use. I remember a Coleman gallon jug being used as one.

Later that day and into the next Mom made up everything from fried clams to clam chowder and stuffed clams. It was incredible.

Thanks Mike and Linda for bringing the clams by and for all the memories they brought to the surface.