Week 1: Spaghetti alle vongole and a fennel/orange salad

For spaghetti with clams:
1 lb spaghetti
24 littleneck clams
8 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup white wine or dry vermouth
salt
parsley

Clean the clams:
to make sure they are purged of sand submerge in saltwater with some cornmeal added. This can take an hour or so, so put them in before starting any prep. Before cooking scrub the shells of any remaining sand/dirt.

Start salted water to boil for pasta. Next get all ingredients ready--mince 8 cloves of garlic (I use a garlic press) and wash and finely chop about 1/2 bunch parsley, and make sure the clams are clean. Start cooking garlic in the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-low heat a couple minutes before water comes to a boil. Make sure garlic does not brown. I often use garlic and shallots. Once the water boils add the pasta and cook for the designated time. Assuming it is a bit more than 10 minutes the clams and pasta should be done at the same time. Add clean clams to the olive oil and garlic. Add some pepper flakes if desired. Pour in the wine and put a lid on the pan. Peek after 8 minutes to see if clams have opened. If they have, remove to a cutting board with tongs. Pull the clam out of the shell with a fork and make sure you return all clam juices to the pan. Discard the shells. Continue cooking the sauce without the opened clams. If any clams remain closed after most of the shells have opened discard them. Chop all clams. The pasta should be done by now (or prior to this point--just drain the pasta when done.) After clams are chopped, toss the past with the sauce over heat, add chopped clams, and remove from heat. Stir in parsley and serve. You can also make red clam sauce by adding tomatoes before adding the clams.

for fennel-orange salad:
1 bulb fennel
5 mandarin oranges--satsuma mandarins are the easiest to peel
3/4 cup shelled pistachios
a bunch arugula
1/2 red onion
1/2 tsp. sugar
red pepper flakes
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine or other vinegar
salt and pepper

Toast pistachios in a 350 degree oven until fragrant--usually about 10 minutes. When they are almost done squeeze the juice of one mandarin into a small frying pan. Add 1/2 tsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until it thickens and add the toasted pistachios. Stir the pistachios to coat--continue stirring until coating starts to caramelize. Remove from heat. Chop fennel and onion into thin shreds and place in serving bowl. Cut mandarins in half and add halved segments to serving bowl. Salt and pepper lightly and let sit while doing other prep. Just before serving mix olive oil and vinegar with salt and pepper for dressing. Place arugula on top of fennel/onion/mandarin mixture, add dressing, and toss so oranges and onions come to the top. Add candied pistachios to the top and serve.