Community Corner

Community Comes Together To Whip Up Chowder

Over 250 clams were shucked for 30 gallons of chowder.

It takes a village -- or about a dozen dedicated New Suffolk community residents -- to make the quintessential clam chowder.

Make that 30 gallons of clam chowder, both Manhattan and New England, and some corn chowder, too.

The volunteers who gathered this week to prepare the chowder for the 5th Annual New Suffolk Waterfront Chowderfest brought all the fixings for crowd-pleasing chowder, plus the secret ingredient, a deep-seated love of their community.

About a dozen residents worked for three days to prepare the chowder, said head chef and New Suffolk resident Nancy Gleason, one of those working to raise money for the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund.

For the past five years, the event has been organized to raise money to save the New Suffolk waterfront parcel that touches a deep chord with area residents.

And for those who flock to the event, it's all about love of community -- and some tasty chowder.

Making the 30 to 40 gallons of chowder needed for the event takes about 250 chowder clams, which have to be cleaned, shucked, and chopped, Gleason said. Also on the cutting board for chopping are the vegetables, including onion, garlic and celery.

The chowder making process takes three days, with steps including preparing a base, with potatoes, onions, bacon and celery. The clams don't get introduced to the savory base until the day of the event, when they're added and brought to a simmer, Gleason said. "We don't want them to get overcooked," she said.

Over the years, the preparation has become an annual tradition, a time for sharing and conversation, laughter and fun. "It's a time for all of us to get together," Gleason said. "When we first started, it used to take two days to get the base and the clams done. Now we do it within three hours. We have it down to a science."

And everyone pitches in: If a volunteer can't make it to the actual chowder cooking gathering, they drop off already chopped vegetable or another contribution.

Gleason said she was chosen to head up the kitchen due to her years of experience a caterer. 

The event symbolizes the passion each resident has for the place they call home. "What's great is that we'e trying to save that beautiful piece of property down there," Gleason said. "Everybody chips in and gets to do a little piece." 

Her husband, Tom Gleason, performs with his band RockIT Science.

And nothing goes to waste, Gleason said. "This year,  we got a 50-pound bag of potatoes and we only used a little. We made homemade potato salad and coleslaw to go with the hamburgers and hot dogs."

Mixed in with the mayo is a healthy dose of hometown pride. "Five years in a row and we're still doing this," Gleason said. "That's pretty good."

Due to the poor weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday, the 5th Annual New Suffolk Waterfront Chowderfest has been postponed until Monday from noon till 3 p.m.

The popular yearly event will feature locally prepared chowders, barbecue, live music with RockIT Science, street art by Rod Tryon, free children's activities and games, face painting and a huge perennial sale with over 50 varieties of plants, all at the site of the U.S. Navy's first submarine base, according to event organizers.

All proceeds will go toward the restoration and revitalization of the waterfront property for community benefit.

The Chowderfest will be held at at First and Main Street at the waterfront and Galley Ho in New Suffolk.
 


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