Cape Cod Canal

In order to get the Cape Cod Canal dug, the Canal Company imported 500 Italian immigrants to build it. Finally, after five long years of exhausting and arduous work, the Cape Cod Canal opened on July 29, 1914, to a great deal of fanfare and horn blowing. In 1927, the U.S. Government took control of the canal and built the Sagamore, Bourne, and trestle bridges. In 1935, the Army Corps of Engineers widened the canal to 480 feet and deepened it to a minimum depth of 32 feet at low tide. Today, the canal carries over 20,000 vessels and 24 million tons of cargo annually and is considered the widest man-made sealevel canal in the world. Weary travelers who traverse the bridges every weekend only wish that they had built them wider.

All About Oysters

Oysters have been a staple in Wellfleet since 1665 when Jacobus Loper introduced the famed oyster to Boston. Originally the town was known as Billingsgate, after a famous fish market in London. In 1763, the Northern end of Easton formed its own government and named the town Wellfleet, after an oyster from the Eastern waters of England. Originally, the oysters were transplanted from Connecticut and the Chesapeake Bay and the oysters today are descendants of those. Many believe that the best oysters in the world are here in Wellfleet. The distinctive "Wellfleet flavor" is said to come from the "colder-than-average water and the relatively high salinity in the estuaries around Wellfleet produce clean-tasting oysters. The fastmoving tides along with a unique mix of nutrients and local phytoplankton add up to a plump oyster with a balance of sweetness and brine." In mid-October, thousands come to the Wellfleet Oyster Festival.

Celery Au Gratin with Almonds

Latham’s on Cape Cod • Brewster

In doing the research for this book, I found that celery-based casserole dishes were quite popular in cookbooks from Cape Cod. This recipe comes from a cookbook published in the early 50s by Ford Motors. Regretfully, Latham’s is no longer open.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup light cream
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups celery, parboiled and cut
1/4 cup blanched almonds
American cheese, grated
bread crumbs, buttered

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make a cream sauce of the butter, flour, chicken stock,
cream, salt and pepper.
3. Add celery and chopped almonds.
4. Bake in a buttered casserole, topped with cheese and
crumbs, until brown.
Serves 4-6

—Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places

Cook’s Note: I would probably use a grated Swiss or Fontina cheese.