“CLAM” Chowder

Did you know last Thursday was National CLAM Chowder Day? As random as it is, we'd like to take this moment to honor the creamy seafood pottage–after all, CLAM (the organization) was built on the stuff!

This year, CLAM celebrates its 20th birthday. And if anything has held true these past 20 years, it's this: No one wants to be a part of any movement if there isn't good food!

CLAM's founders knew this. So they devised the first community meeting to be a "CLAMbake." It was held at the Dance Palace in 2003. (Spot any familiar faces in these photos?)

One hundred people attended that first CLAMbake to learn about the Community Land Trust model and partake in a giant cauldron of clam chowder. After hearing CLAM's presentation and eating CLAM chowder, all attendees joined as members on the spot. A tradition was born.

So once a year, we invite the community to be served a wonderful dinner, to enjoy each other's company, and to hear about CLAM's progress and future plans. Of course, the COVID pandemic put a hold on these gatherings. So, if we may use National Clam Chowder Day as an excuse, we'd like to share with you the fabled CLAM chowder recipe. This recipe came from Mary Olson, a wonderful volunteer who no longer lives here but who left her mark on our taste buds.

Click here for the fabled CLAM chowder recipe.

We always get requests for the recipe when we make it and we're happy to share it, even if we can't enjoy it together at this time. After our COVID seclusion is over, we look forward to gathering again and rejoicing over steaming bowls of CLAM chowder.

A note: this recipe is not for the faint of heart. It is complex and somewhat time consuming, but the results are wonderful! The creaminess comes from the mashed potatoes, with a little cream added at the end. It's complexity is part of its lore!

Enjoy!