The following is one of my all time favorite recipes, but it’s not part of the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook. It’s a recipe I’ve created myself with love and a lot of trial and error as a tasty alternative clam chowder for those with milk allergies or who may be lactose intolerant. It’s like a cross between New England and Manhattan style clam chowder, and I added some Italian seasonings to give it a little extra zing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Gayle Martin
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE CLAM CHOWDER
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups water
- 2 to 3 medium sized red potatoes, diced into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can diced, peeled tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 1 can baby clams (10 ounce)
- 1/2 teaspoon basil, bay leaves and Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Wondra flour or cornstarch
Chop onion and place in small stockpot with olive oil and melted butter. Add minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and the garlic turns light brown. Add water, diced potatoes, salt (if desired), and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes. Strain the clam juice into a small mixing bowl and add the clams to the soup mixture. Add Wondra flour or cornstarch to the clam juice and stir until all flour is dissolved and juice mixture is free of lumps. Add the juice mixture to the soup and stir thoroughly. Add garlic powder, (if not using minced garlic), basil, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. Stir and bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for an additional ten minutes. Serve with rolls or garlic bread.
Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.
Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.