HungryChris

I think Deb should be happy with her lunch tomorrow. HC

Providence red clam chowder from a local fire house Memorial Day benefit. HC

I just started using an old broom handle and hammer. I dig a little trench with a hoe then poke a little hole in the trench every three inches with the broom handle tapped with the hammer, then drop seeds in the holes and tamp it down with the hoe. As I planted the last row, I was thinking about adding a long necked funnel to another broom handle for dropping the seed into the hole and that there must be some devise that does it all. HC

In an effort to breathe new life into this thread here are some clamcake and chowder pictures from the West Greenwich, Rhode Island Fire Dept. Twice a year, they sell them out of the fire house. Attendance is always good, as is the food. The clamcakes (fritters) are quite good and we eat them while they are hot in the car. Deb likes a dipping sauce, which they do not offer. I used to make, and bring, tartar sauce, but yesterday she requested lemon and garlic aioli which I made last night because it benefits from a night in the fridge. We got a half dozen fritters which are about golf ball size (I have already eaten one). ....and of course the aioli: I got 4 quarts of the red chowder, which I brought home. I have never had a clam chowder I didn't like and this was no exception. I do like to add a bit of Crystal hot sauce and garlic, which I did after taking this picture. HC

Each time we go to San Diego or Las Vegas, In-N-Out is one of the first stops. I can't really explain it in specific terms nor reproduce it at home, but they make a great burger! HC

After several 90 + (F) days, little or no rain, using the hose to keep things going, we are finally getting some good rain. My first row of beans (third planting) has come up with a few no-shows. I planted the second row yesterday and doubled up on the seed count. Shelby, Kansas is not a state we normally hear much about out here, but lately, it's in the news for all kinds of weather issues. I hope your growing season improves! HC

I do not normally like sweet BBQ sauce, but Deb made a specific request for a sweet BBQ chicken so I went out on a limb (I do live with her) and made a gochujang/ mayo marinade and put the thighs in a bag with it for a few hours. I cooked them over indirect heat on the grill at 350 F for 30 min. Then I brushed on some "Sweet Baby Ray" and cooked another 5 minutes. I have to admit, they were pretty good. We are having some folks over for lobster and ribs (I smoked today) tomorrow and I will reheat the chicken along with the ribs and serve up with cold salads. We'll see what happens after the lobster runs out. The first radishes from the garden are in those salads, I'm proud to say. HC

My grandmother lived in Mattituck, LI and we took may a trip on the Cross Sound Ferry from Groton to Orient Point and yes it is both true and interesting how a little ways down the road can change what things are called. HC

Where I grew up, in the small coastal towns of Stonington, Mystic and Groton, CT, that would be a "toasted Italian combo grinder". The one I made would be what you would get if you ordered a "regular salami grinder". HC

A light snack, but a good snack. HC Host's note: to see the next part of this topic, click here.

And you inspired me to make kimchi fried rice with leftover kielbasa. HC

Duck eggs, home fries and fresh salsa. It's going to be a good day, Tater! HC

Over 90 degrees yesterday. Anything that gets cooked happens outside on the grill. Kielbasa on the grill (wrapped in aluminum foil and bathed in Crystal hot sauce) and from the kitchen, cucumber and three bean salads. I also made a big pot of French Vanilla coffee and put it in the fridge. Iced tea and iced coffee season has arrived in earnest! HC

Here is how it all starts: I bought 3 pounds. This turned out to be 2 dozen clams of various sizes. I picked out 12 of the largest and opened them. The other dozen are small enough to have on the half shell (kind of a lunch bonus for me). The big ones, I stuffed with a combination of chopped chorizo, garlic, shallots, green onion all sautéed in a pan with a bit of olive oil, bread crumbs, butter, grated Parmesan cheese and deglazed with dry sherry. I baked these in a 350 F oven for 35 minutes while I put together a Caesar salad with homemade croutons. Here they are after cooking. And put it all together for dinner tonight. HC

The salami "Grinder", building a legend. HC

Biased sliced French bread that has been drizzled with good olive oil on both faces, provolone cheese and sliced tomatoes. Finely shaved cabbage that has been hit with salt and pepper and olive oil and allowed to wilt down for a few minutes and a few slices of cooked salami. HC

Cuban mojo rotisserie chicken. Because it contains a lot of citrus (orange, lemon and lime juice) you can’t marinate it too long or the skin will not hold up to the long cooking time and fall apart and the skin is why you do this in the first place. So it is a happy dance of compromise to get it right. This chicken was almost 6 pounds, so it cooked for 2 ¾ hours at 350 over indirect heat. The long cooking time offers the perfect opportunity to break out a growler of my favorite local brew and the regular ½ hour basting schedule affords me the perfect pace to ensure that the second pint (these are 32 oz growlers) is finished up when the chicken is done. As a side note, this little brewery is in an old mill that was once a working velvet mill where my father worked. As a child, I was in there quite a bit and knew many of the loom workers and dye house people by name. Now it is a collection of art studios and shops, but is quite nostalgic when I visit to have my growlers refilled. Getting more than 2 growlers filled gets to be an awkward situation and much as I hate to admit it, I broke a full one once. It still pains me to think about as breaking an empty one would have been bad enough. My solution was to build a carrier that I based on an antique milk bottle carrier. Getting back to the chicken: It was another fine Sunday chicken dinner with a baked potato and cucumber salad. HC

I agree with Anna. This post, as it stands, borders on criminal. HC

Steamed snow crab is becoming a favorite. The recent "buy 4 pounds and get a dollar a pound off" at Stop & Shop is a curse and a blessing, depending on how you look at it. I think it was the latter, last night. HC

Because I grow Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes, getting support stakes long enough has been an issue. Garden shops charge too much for ones that are simply inadequate A few years ago, while at Lowes or Home Depot, a solution occurred to me that I have been using ever since. Do it yourself tomato stakes. I buy 1" X 3" X 8 ' furring strips and rip them in half. They are actually 2 3/8" X 3/4" X 8', so I set the saw at 1 3/16" and rip them down the middle. Then take the guide off the saw and put points on them. These work out to about 75 cents each, around here and will last 3 or 4 seasons and probably much longer if painted.. HC

Based on what I saw, I would say about a cubic yard per bucket.

My garden used to be beside the house, but the neighbors trees got too tall and blocked out the sun there. I finally decided to try it out in the front and reluctantly tilled up a bit of the lawn several years ago. What I found was that because I see it, up close, as I come and go and from in the house, I spot and can correct any problems far sooner than when I would only notice them if I made a trip out to see how things were going. Because it is right there next to the driveway, I take more pride in keeping in neat and orderly and have made good friends with the UPS and FEDEX drivers who are both avid gardeners. I don't regret it at all, but thought I would. HC

Yesterday, I went to a local cattle farm that has been advertising cow manure compost and picked up 2 bobcat buckets full and spread them on the garden. Today, I will till it in and start putting in tomatoes. HC

Egg salad and chicken liver pate on crackers. HC

My last duck egg, toast and home fries with peppers and onions. Last evening, I took some photos of an indigo bunting at the bird feeder and decided to document the little chap's dinner along with my breakfast. HC