A Map of the US state of Massachusetts from David Rumsey.
Cape Cod is the "arm."
As we reached a shallow spot, my family, our
local friends and I stepped out. It was hard to fathom that our supper lay
beneath our feet. Watching carefully, our hosts directed us to the air bubbles
that would occasionally rise out of the water, or from wet sand. Frantically
raking at those spots (called “mucking”) gave us our reward- beautiful clams!
Working in this way for a couple hours, we
soon filled our ice-cream pails to capacity. As curious seagulls circled around
us, we started the boat ride home.
Still within view of the Atlantic Ocean, we
arrived at the home of our friends. A large stock pot was filled with water,
cream, vegetables and potatoes and set to simmer on the back deck. Soon
thereafter, our bounty of bivalves was added to the pot!
Homemade New England style clam chowder was
a flavorful epiphany! The creaminess of the broth was aided by the saltiness of
the clams we had added, and they were super-tender!
That moment sparked a realization in
me. I thought it was fascinating how we
had taken an ingredient right from nature to our plates. The hard work made the
meal taste even better!
Now, I really respect the whole process our
food goes through to get to our plates.
Learning about that entire process from nature to
plate can really add to travel experiences. Next time you travel, try talking
to local producers about how they
raise their products and why they love it! Perhaps try a stint volunteering on
a local working farm (something I would love to try!) or acquire a local
fishing license (if needed) and catch your dinner!
That wonderful sense of achievement after doing
something like that causes one to reflect on where their food comes from. The
effort involved truly does make a meal taste even better, and it can create some memorable travel experiences!
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