Ten Things to Love About Yarmouth Clam Festival

10. Chairs set out on the parade route a full week before the parade.
And nobody thinks that's strange.

9. A 7' tall friendly clam named Steamer.

8. Lime rickeys! Nothing's better on a hot day.

7. Seeing your own kids in the parade.

6. Dancin' in the street!

5. Friendly servers!

4. Volunteer cleaner-uppers!

3. Bike valet service!

2. Lobster rolls for lunch and dinner.

1. Clams!!!

The Yarmouth Clam Festival is always the third weekend in July. Mark your calendars now and don't miss it next year!

Green Salad - No Lettuce

After a weekend full of clams, crafts and carnival rides, we were all ready for something healthy and fresh to eat.

Steamer the Clam at Yarmouth Clam Festival

All I wanted was something green. Aside from the limes in the lime rickeys, I had had nothing green in days.

Ouch.

This salad is as green and clean as you can get.  

The yogurt vinaigrette is tangy and herby with a hint of sweetness. 

It's delicious on practically anything. I used it on an Israeli couscous salad recently. Feel free to add other herbs that you might have growing. But don't leave out the mint! It just adds that something something that sets this apart.

And it's a perfect complement to these lightly blanched green vegetables.

I used broccolini, green beans and snap peas, with a few chopped scallions. Spears of zucchini would be good, as well as regular broccoli. Blanche each vegetable then be sure to immerse in ice water to stop the cooking and retain the bright color. Mix with the vinaigrette just before serving.

Yogurt Vinaigrette

adapted from Joy the Baker

1 cup plain yogurt ( I used fat free. If you like Greek yogurt, use that.)

1 Tbsp. Dijon, or other spicy mustard

1 Tbsp. honey or agave syrup

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, basil and/or tarragon)

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. 

If dressing seems too thick, you can thin it out with some lemon juice.

That's it! Now go eat your greens.

Cioppino - Easier to Make Than It Is to Pronounce

Ok, enough with the sugar.

Let's move on to some adult-oriented, healthful and truly delicious food. Did I mention easy?

This cioppino (say "cha-pea-no" - a fancy word for fish stew) is quick enough for a weeknight dinner, but elegant enough to serve to company.

Lucky for me, I still had some shellfish in the freezer, left over from our Christmas seafood extravaganza. So when I invited Debbie-Next-Door and her husband over for dinner last week, what to make was an easy decision. While we sipped our wine and chatted about their recent trip to Spain (where it rained and snowed the entire time), I cooked dinner.
Very little thinking involved.

You could really use any kind of seafood you like in this. I had the lobster and shrimp, then I bought a half pound of clams (shucked) and a half pound of scallops, which I cut in half because they're so large.
Any kind of firm fish filet could replace the lobster.
Canned clams are fine, if you don't live in Maine, in which case you have no excuse for not using fresh.
Said the woman from Yarmouth, home of the annual Clam Festival.

Serve with a green salad and some grilled bread, and you've got dinner.
For dessert, just help yourself to some candy from your kids' Easter baskets.

Quick Cioppino
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens


6 oz. firm fish fillet, such as snapper, halibut or cod, cut into 1" pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced (or more to taste)

1 can (14.5 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, undrained, broken up with your fingers

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce (I like Muir Glen)

1/2 cup white wine, or clam juice (bottled is fine)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano (or 1/4 tsp. dried)

2 Tbsp. sliced fresh basil

6 oz. chopped clams

4 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined

salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste

optional:
4 oz. fresh lobster (cooked) or scallops (cut in half if very large)

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
 Add bell pepper and onion. Cook until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and wine or clam juice. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer, 10 minutes.

Add fish, undrained clams, shrimp and any other seafood you have. Bring just to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 6-8 minutes, or just until fish begins to flake easily and shellfish is lightly cooked through. Mix in parsley, basil, crushed red pepper to taste, and salt and pepper.