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THE KITCHEN WILD PHOTOS AND RECIPES BY KATIE WILEY C<strong>OC</strong>KLE CLAMS CASINO Summer may have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean some of our favorite coastal activities have to — like clamming! During these fall and winter months we still have plenty of opportunities to get out there and load up on clams with several stretches of minus tides throughout the next few months. We’re just going to have to do it in the dark because, unlike summer minus tides, these fall and winter tides that are perfect for clamming occur in the evenings. Night clamming can be a little eerie but a whole lot of fun. It can also be dangerous, especially with the deposit of logs and debris from high winter tides and the upcoming King Tides, so always be sure to use extra caution while clamming in the dark. Some ways to be more cautious while night clamming include always having multiple light sources, such as lanterns and headlamps, stick to clamming in areas you’re familiar with and avoid clamming alone whenever possible. So grab your clam rakes, headlamps and a buddy and get out there and make the most of these winter minus tides, then transform your bounty into a mouthwatering holiday appetizer with this Cockle Clams Casino recipe. Not only is this dish incredibly delicious and always a crowd pleaser, but it also comes with an awesome story to tell about how you harvested them in the dark! Cockle Clams Casino Ingredients: • 1 limit cockle clams (20 cockles) cleaned, chopped into small pieces. Reserve (cleaned) cockle shells • 2 tablespoons salted butter • 2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into small pieces • ½ cup red bell pepper, very finely chopped • 2 shallots, very finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced • freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese • ¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley, plus extra for garnish • ½ cup finely chopped kielbasa sausage <strong>OC</strong> WAVES • VOL <strong>3.4</strong> •Lemon wedges for serving Directions: • In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until almost completely cooked, drain excess fat. • Then add in clams, kielbasa, bell pepper, shallots, garlic and freshly ground pepper. Cook the mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon begins to crisp and the shallots and peppers are very tender. • In a separate bowl, melt butter then add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and parsley. Mix until all the ingredients are well distributed and the breadcrumbs soak up the butter. • Preheat your broiler, then lay cockle shells on a baking sheet and top each evenly with clam mixture, then top with breadcrumb mixture, packing it down over the clam. • On the middle rack, broil the clams for 2-5 minutes (watching carefully so they don’t burn), until golden brown and hot. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh parsley. APPLE PECAN CRANBERRY SALAD WITH PUMPKIN MAPLE DRESSING As far back as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Yes, mashed potatoes and gravy has held the number one spot of my all time favorite foods for pretty much my entire life, but Thanksgiving is so much more than a table full of our favorite foods. It a time to gather together as a family to celebrate this year’s harvest — whether on land or at sea — and to think back and reminisce over all of the other blessings that we have encountered over the past year. Blessings come in many forms. They can be small, and they can be life changing. They can arrive as an outcome of prayer, positive thinking or even just good old-fashioned hard work. But often times, blessings come from the places we least expect them, through hardships or unanswered prayers leading us right where we needed to be — although it’s in those moments of hardship that those blessings can be the hardest to see. Have there been moments in your life when there has been an incredibly difficult situation, such as the loss of a job or maybe even the loss of your home, that ended up leading you to a better job or a better home? Maybe a financial hardship that seemed impossible to get out of that led to a new way of life that suits you better? Blessings are easy to spot when our prayers are instantly answered, like when we’re running late and we pray that the line at our favorite coffee shop isn’t too long, and when we arrive, the line is empty. Or when we pray for a close parking spot at Fred Meyer because it’s pouring outside and a front row spot opens up just as we pull in. But what about those moments when things don’t go our way? When we encounter a hardship of one form or another? It’s easy to feel sad and confused, wondering why this challenging time is happening in our lives, and oftentimes the last thing we want to do is look for the blessing in an otherwise unfavorable situation, But there’s always a blessing in there somewhere, even in the darkest of times. I’d love to suggest that we all take a little extra time this Thanksgiving to think of all the blessings that have come into our lives this year, both big and small, because the easiest way to attract more blessings in our lives is to acknowledge all of the good things we already have going on by celebrating them. Whether we share them out loud, write them down in a journal or simply sit quietly and think of all the blessings that have come our way, when we acknowledge, encourage and praise the blessings we have already been given, we undoubtedly attract even more blessings into our lives. Apple Pecan Cranberry Salad Ingredients: 5 ounces spring mix lettuce 1 honey crisp apple, thinly sliced 1/3 cup candied pecans 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced Pumpkin Maple Dressing Ingredients: CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 35