Steamers, part two: breakfast from the flats

This morning we awoke to another damp, chilly day on our Atlantic peninsula. The roadways were slick with days of drizzle as I made my way into town on my mother's 1970-era bicycle to pick up a Sunday paper before breakfast. By the time I made it home with the news safely tucked into its orange sleeve, I was thoroughly wet and ready to eat.

A quick scan through the kitchen yielded few possibilities: a carton of eggs, a jar of honey, and 10 pounds of oatmeal seemed the only options. As a staunch believer in distinguishing weekend breakfasts from those of ordinary weekday mornings, I ruled out oatmeal as a work-week staple. Eggs without bacon seemed a bit mundane, and honey on savory toast (baker's choice for the week was a country loaf with onion, butternut-squash, and rosemary) was not quite right.

At the moment of dubiety (honey sweetened oatmeal pudding?), the bowl of leftover steamers from earlier in the week caught my eye. With a few bread crumbs, a flick of the blender, and a pinch of salt and pepper, I could put those eggs to good use frying up a batch of clam cakes.

In it all went. Just a few minutes later, the plates were arranged with a bed of CapeAbilities' hydroponic lettuce and a ring of hot pepper sauce. As I bit into a well-done cake with a sprig of chive and a splash of hots, I peeled open the crisp front page of the week's paper and the morning was made.

BREAKFAST FROM THE FLATS: CAPE COD CLAM CAKES

Makes 6 large cakes

Finely chop 1 lb. fresh steamers and one medium sized onion. In a large mixing bowl, combine with 3 eggs, 1 cup bread or cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Fry in 3 tablespoons bacon or other leftover fat over high heat until very crisp; 5-10 minutes. Serve hot over a bed of lettuce with a side of hot sauce or spicy mayo; garnish with a chive.