Cape Cod and Uncle Merlot

As my vacation continued, I made my way down to Chatham to visit my Aunt & Uncle with my parents. This is my favorite place to go on the Cape. The beach is within walking distance of my uncles house, there is a phenomenal candy store in town, and my aunt & uncle just happen to be fantastic cooks. Now when I was younger, I was never much of a seafood fan. I usually ran away from the steamers my cousins would try to get me to eat. I guess my taste buds have changed because I could not get enough of my Aunt's stuffed clams and clams casino. I got so lost and distracted by the clams casino that I did not remember to take a picture of them but let me tell you, they were outstanding. Juicy and just bursting with loads of flavor. She had topped the clam with garlic, some breadcrumbs, crunchy bacon and some fresh basil. And then there were the stuffed clams. These were amazing. The stuffing was made of ground up clam bellies, onion, celery, bread crumbs, garlic, butter, fresh herbs and a whole lotta love. Not to mention, topped with a nice piece of crunchy bacon. It was so rich and flavorful with a satisfying hint of clam. They really could not have been better. Big shout out to Aunt Janet for those!My Dad's family loves being Italian and takes great pride in our food. It should also come as no shock that Uncle Merlot has a very high affinity for you guessed it, Merlot. So anytime we all get together, there is an abundance of delicious food and red wine. Naturally, the clams were just the appetizers, and as hard as it was to save room, I managed to keep some digestive space open for the dinner that was to come. Pork seemed to be the theme, as my Dad cooked a dry-rubbed pork tenderloin on the grill that he had slathered in BBQ sauce at the last minute. Uncle Merlot was in charge of the Italian pork sausages, onions, and peppers. Perhaps my favorite element of the meal was the insalata caprese prepared by my Aunt. Fresh grown tomatoes and basil straight from their garden and large soft hunks of fresh mozzarella are possibly my favorite combination of ingredients ever. The masterpiece of a platter was then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I did not think I would be able to finish my plate which was full of insalata caprese, a sausage, onion, & pepper sandwich, and a few pieces of the pork loin. Somehow I managed to enjoy every bite. It could not have been better; I was with my family, at the beach, and eating wonderful food. It's funny, this was just a casual DuPont summer gathering, so the DuPont family Christmas is bound to deliver some truly mind blowing blog posts. Cannolli, calzone, panna cotta, prime rib. Ahh the possibilities....