Fogged in.  Second morning in a row.  Yesterday, only a few swirls over the water. Today it permeates the whole town. Up and down the coast as well.  Can’t see boats in the harbor.  Gives the gown a misty fairytale quality.  Fog horn wails in the far distance.  Just right for the waning days of summer.

Good day to walk to the fish market and get the fixin’s for chowder.  Think I’ll skip the clams today.  Just don’t want to deal with shells.  Watching the fog makes me lazy.  Going to grab a couple of pounds of chowder fish.  It’s the neatest thing, a variety of white-flesh fish left from cutting fillets.  Already cut up for you.  No fuss.  Great start.  Got everything else I need.  Good bacon.  A carrot or two.  Potatoes.  A box of fish stock in the pantry.  Fresh parsley growing outside the back door.  A walk in the fog will do me good.

LAZY DAY FISH CHOWDER

Makes about 3 quarts.

Start with nice big hunks of bacon and half the butter; add small white creamer potatoes cut into halves.  No flour in here, works for gluten-free diets.

½ cup butter

3 cups diced onions

¼ cup finely grated carrots                                        

1 pint white creamer potatoes, cut in halves

• Heat butter in stockpot.  Add onions, carrots, potatoes; cook until slightly softened, stirring, about 7 minutes.

½ cups fish stock

4 pounds chowder fish mixture 

• Heat stock separately.  Add to vegetable mixture. Reduce heat; simmer, 12 minutes, until potatoes are tender. 

• Add fish. Simmer 10 minutes longer.

2 cups light cream or whole milk

½ cup finely grated cheddar cheese

Salt, ground black pepper

• Stir in cream, or milk, and cheese; simmer until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.