Nothing captures the end of summer and the beginning of harvest season like clams. On the half shell, clam chowder, baked clams and linguine and clam sauce but the best clams come from the North Fork’s Peconic Bay. If you stay at The Greenporter Hotel, you can walk to the public docks to embark Category 1, Captain Libby’s boat.
This summer I had the opportunity to venture out on the Peconic Bay with Captain Libby Koch of H2Ospitality. She charters her boat which specializes in leisure experiences liking clamming and harbor tours. Captain Libby, a North Fork native remembers her first experiences on the water with her grandparents and parents where they would collect shell fish, and deliver the bounty to her Italian mother to prepare their weekly Sunday feast at their East Marion summer cottage.
Captain Koch received her Captain’s license in 2009 after a lifetime of adventures on the water.
In addition to being a sailor, she is also a tri-athlete and holds a degree in Health Fitness Management from Marymount University. This together with her six year stint at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Country in the Marine Program educating youth about the local marine environment including bivalves, mollusks, crustaceans and local aquatic life, makes her quite the catch. Who better than Captain Libby to help you find the best clams on Long Island and show you around?
Book her “Three Hour Tour” with a stop for clam digging
Times based on tide schedule anywhere from 8:30 am to 2pm. Excersion includes three hours on the Peconic Bay, clam rake, digging time, clam knife and homemade condiments if you want to enjoy your catch aboard. You will be able to take home your clams so bring your own cooler with ice.
Recipe for baked clams
Fresh Peconic clams of any size
Shucked and hand chopped
Save and clean all shells and liquid for the stuffing
Chop fresh garden parsley, oragano and thyme
Chop two cloves garlic and saute with herbs
Add herbs and garlic to bowl of chopped clams and toss. Add pepper to taste.
Use a large baking sheet to lay out clam
Add spoonfull of clam mixture into each clam shell and top with bread or cracker crumbs and more herbs
Top with a drizzle of EVOO and bake at 375 for 30 minutes
Once they are bubbling and golden brown, remove from oven and server straight to the picnic table
A large green salad, corn on the cobb and crusty bread
Serve with a bottle of Coffee Pot Cellars Chardonnay made by winemaker, Adam Supremant.
