Quahogs

"We should do a lab dinner sometime this summer," Johanna suggested.

That's how the conversation started back in late May. I loved the idea. Some of my favorite memories as a student were dinners with my research group. Honestly, work sessions that blended into dinners at Andrew Sweetman's house in Norway are what made me into the scientist that I am. 

Meyer-Kaiser lab clamming 2023. Photo by Andrew Corso.

The plan for a summer lab dinner gradually morphed and grew. We decided to include our partners. Then Kharis suggested we could forage some of our ingredients. The after-work dinner turned into a mid-afternoon clam hunt followed by homemade clam chowder at my house. 

We left work about 3 and parked at Kharis's house. From there, we walked the few minutes to Main Street and took in the summer arts and crafts fair - may as well enjoy the atmosphere while we can. Then 5 of us piled into Kharis's car, surrounded by buckets and rakes. We drove out to a spot in East Falmouth, changed into shorts and dive booties, and waded into the water. 

I had never been clamming before. You usually want to go at a mid-to-low tide, so there's not too much water between you and the clams. In waist-high water, you drag a rake through the mud. There's a specific technique to it that Kharis had to teach us. Most times, you can feel when you've hit a clam, and you have to drive the rake further into the mud before the clam has a chance to burrow away from you. If you're quick enough, you'll sweep the rake in a full arc, pull its basket up to the surface of the water, bob it a few times to rinse the mud away, and find a satisfying, giant quahog. 

Meyer-Kaiser lab clamming 2023. Photo by Andrew Corso.

It took us about an hour to get a peck of clams - the maximum amount you can harvest per permit per day. My husband, Carl, had requested at least 5 pounds of clams for his clam chowder recipe, and we gave him plenty to work with. After retreating to my house and enjoying a few glasses of wine, our foraging efforts were rewarded by Chef Carl's Clam Chowder - the best chowder any of us had ever tasted. We followed the dinner with Johanna's homemade pie, complete with a filling of local blueberries and honey. 

Clamming and dinner was the perfect way to spend the hottest day of the summer yet. I am so grateful for the community of scientists in my lab and for our fun bonding day!