Cockles and Mussels

Chris came home today with cockles and mussels and corn on the cob. Somewhere in my mind I thought of an Irish song about "cockles and mussels" but the thought left me as my stomach grumbled and we began to plan dinner. The plan was to cook everything outside on the grill since it was gorgeous out. So, first we soaked the corn in a sinkful of water for about a half-hour then put it, husk and all, on the preheated grill. About 15 minutes later, we threw the bivalves into the stainless steel basket insert of our crawfish boiler/turkey fryer with white wine, water, and all of the various other ingredients (see recipe) and put the pot, covered, on the gas burner on high for about 15 minutes, until all the shells were open. We even grabbed the herbs out of our growing herb garden which made us feel like we had accomplished something. What a simple and delicious dinner! We ate outside, enjoying the sunshine, the garden, our meal and each other's company. It was a nice taste of summer which is right around the corner!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. mussels
1 lb. cockles
4 lemons, halved
1 bunch green onions, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 handful fresh parsley

2-3 stems of fresh tarragon
1/2 stick butter
1/2 bottle white wine (we used Trader Joe's Pinot Grigio)
2 cups water

salt

Put all the ingredients in a large stockpot, cover the pot, set it over high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until all shells are open.