happy as a clam

for most of the food i cook, i try to stick to the "locavore" philosophy that michael pollan advocates (in both of his books: Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food). that i live in northern california actually makes this extremely easy to do - there's an abundance of amazing seasonal produce (although i'll get back to you on that during the winter...).

but despite the ready availability of most foodstuffs, every now and again i get a hankering for something that isn't in season in the pacific northwest, and i break down.

this week, it was because of pasta with clam sauce. i saw a recipe in the june issue of bon appétit magazine that i really wanted to try. now, of course, there's nothing wrong about wanting to try a tasty clam recipe. that is, unless you live here, where clams aren't harvested until the winter months. last i checked, it was still june... darn.

i justified what i was about to do by telling myself that ordinarily i do a pretty decent job eating like a locavore. i know, this sort of reasoning can be a slippery slope - and i don't usually wear sneakers - so i vowed to make sure not to throw a bellyflop dive down said slope... but only provided i could get my grubby little paws on about a pound and a half of clams, and soon.

i made my "crime" less terrible by making sure to get them from the san francisco fish company - a store in the san francisco ferry building whose owner subscribes to the sustainable ethos. he also happens to have half-decent puns. (loda and skim, you ladies paying attention? you have some competition on your hands...) we had them tonight for dinner and they were fantastic! if you like clams, give this recipe a try - for me, it was well worth the "guilt" of not being a locavore for a night!


Spaghetti with Spicy Herbed Clam Sauce

1/2 stick unsalted butter (I like Straus Creamery)
2 tbsps olive oil (I like Stonehouse)
2 onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 medium tomatoes, cored, chopped
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups water
3 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces spaghetti

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, then add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes, white wine, and water and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring broth back to boil. Add clams, cover and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes (discard any that don't open). Remove clams to large bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add herbs and crushed red pepper to pot. Add spaghetti and cook pasta until almost al dente. Place clams (and any liquid in bowl) back into pot. Cover and simmer until clams are heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide evenly into 4 pasta bowls. Serve with crusty bread, so you can mop up the yummy broth!! Serves 4.