Caroline Dines

If you are going to attempt to dig your own clams you will definitely need the proper tools and a few pointers. Since I do not consider myself an expert, I asked my Dad for some tips and here is what he had to share:

• Before you start digging at all make sure that there aren’t any kind of advisories in your area for “Red Tide“.
• Invest in a good quality clam rake. This will make the digging easier and faster.
• If you want to look super professional you could also pick up one of these fancy clam hods.

• To find where the clams are underneath the sand, scout out an area that has maybe 4-5 medium-large air holes. The clams create the holes in order to breath so if you find a spot that has a good number of them you are apt to find a lot of clams below the surface.

• You’ll want to be sure you aren’t taking any baby clams and only the big more developed ones.
• Be prepared to get dirty (up to your elbows in sand and clay) and in an uncomfortable position for however long you decide to clam. It’s hard work but you can’t beat the ambiance and the price!

After my Dad had dug the clams, I helped him find some mussels. In the process we found this little guy who was a little freaked out having his picture taken but was a good sport.

Mussels grow all along the island’s shoreline. They cling to rocks and often have barnacles growing on them.

Mussels are a lot easier to gather and don’t require any digging. They are usually hiding under seaweed or require a slight twist to release them from the muddy ocean floor.

Make sure that they are completely sealed to ensure that the actual mussel is still inside!

Before heading back to the house my Dad washed everything off in the ocean so that they could simply be placed in the pot with boiling water. Talk about easy prep work!

When I started volunteering at an urban farm this past May, I began to discover different vegetables that I had never thought to cook or eat myself.  After helping to plant and weed the collard greens I really wanted to try these dark leafy greens so I set out to find a quick and easy way to cook them. The traditional method is a long drawn out process which usually incorporates some type of pork product from my understanding. While these are probably very tasty, I don’t have the time and don’t usually eat a lot of pork. I happened upon this Brazilian method one day while I was searching the internet.

After rinsing the greens, you begin by slicing out the middle section with a good sharp knife.

You will then be left with two halves of the green. Stack these up with the cut sides together. A stack of about 6 or 7 should work.

Next you will roll the bunch tightly.

And then slice the roll very thinly.

Chop the newly cut rolls into rough pieces, the smaller the better because it will cook faster.

At this point you will want to begin heating your pan with a little olive oil, crushed garlic and salt and pepper.

Once the pan is hot enough, throw the greens onto the heat and begin to stirfry.

The heat should be fairly high at this point but after about 4 minutes, you will want to turn it down and cover the pan to steam them for about two minutes.

Having never had the other type of collard greens I really have nothing to compare these to. I would say that the crunchy yet soft texture and the bright green color that they retain after such a quick cooking method is what draws me to repeat this recipe weekly. We ate a larger meal at 1:30 today due to my work schedule and his plans for tennis later this afternoon.

The collards were served with BBQ chicken which I simply baked in the oven and corn on the cob. Simply fabulous.