On one of last week’s bright, sunny days, I went for a long walk on the beach when the tide was low. There is nothing quite like the aroma of a saltwater low tide, a unique pleasure I’ve enjoyed all of my aware life.

Over my beach-walking years, I’ve seen closures occur, first in my beloved Hood Canal, and then occasionally a beach area or two around our island.

It is sometimes due to a red-tide occurrence and the closure doesn’t last long. But too frequently lately the primary reason for closure is “pollution due to seepage of …” and then goes on to mention either chemical pollutants from fertilizer runoff or human/animal waste as the cause for closure.

Each time a beach has to be closed because “we” have fouled it is cause for alarm and should be a head’s-up warning that makes us more aware of beach fragility. But, when I read last week that a horse was killed and its rider rendered unconscious in a matter of minutes after they stepped into a sink hole of noxious green algae, it was more than an alert, it was a huge scare.

Sure, the death trap was on a beach on the coast of France, a long way from our island beaches, but I happen to subscribe to the “don’t think it can’t happen to you” attitude. Huge concentrations of hydrogen sulfide given off by rotting algae were, according to the article, in amounts that “can be fatal in several minutes.”

The article went on to note that this threat is not confined to a beach in France, but that “decaying ulva algae threaten other beaches around the world.”

To keep it as short as possible, chemicals from animal waste and fertilizers seep into the water and promote huge growth of the algae, but when the algae then washes up on a beach and decays, it gives off the noxious “rotten egg” hydrogen sulfide. Pockets of the gas are often hidden beneath the crust of sun–dried rotten algae, and in the sand beneath. Step into one of those pockets, releasing the gas, and your beach walk is finished, possibly forever.

Steps are being taken, of course, to clean up algae growths on beaches throughout Europe, as well as in China. Changes are also being made in agricultural practices to prevent the buildup of fertilizer chemicals in the water but, as noted in the article, it will take years not only to undo the damage, but to change attitudes and convince people of the seriousness of the situation.

Well, not this person. I will never again walk so unthoughtfully on any beach, anywhere, and every closure I hear or read of now will set off alarm bells in my mind. As I said, we must not think “it can’t happen here.”

RECIPES

All this talk of beaches can only bring on a hunger for seafood. Except for sea urchin and sea cucumber, and noxious green algae, of course, there is little from a beach or salt water I wouldn’t love to find on my table. What could be more sublime than a few oysters on the half shell, followed by steamed clams or mussels, and then fresh cracked crab, or a salmon steak from a salmon caught only hours before.

Tonight, because I have leftover crab and fresh corn, we’re having this excellent soup, full of flavor and, with a green salad and some fresh bread; a perfect light summer meal.

CRAB AND CORN SOUP

3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from the cob), divided (hang on to the cobs)

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water (more, if needed)

Cilantro, 1 small bunch or so, stems removed but keep them (see instructions), leaves chopped

½ t. salt

2 T. unsalted butter, or use olive oil if preferred

1½ cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1½ t. minced seeded jalapeno

¼ t. chili powder (use ancho chili powder, if you can find it)

1 t. finely grated lime zest

About 1½ cups crabmeat

1 t. fresh lime juice, or to taste

Break corn cobs in half and put in a large pot. Add chicken broth, water, cilantro stems and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 min. Strain the liquid into a quart measuring cup, discard the solids. Add enough water to the corn broth to measure 4 cups.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over med.-low heat. Add onion; saute until translucent and just tender. Add garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and lime peel. Stir and cook

1 min.; remove from heat.

Reserve some of the crabmeat for garnish. Combine 2 cups of the corn kernels and 1 cup of the broth in a blender; puree until almost smooth. Add this to the saucepan with the onion mixture. Add remaining corn broth and remaining corn kernels. Bring to a simmer. Add crab meat (except the reserved portion), lime juice and 1/3 cup of the chopped cilantro leaves. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper; add more lime juice, if preferred.

Ladle soup into warmed bowls and top each with a bit of the reserved crabmeat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

Serves 4.

Note: It’s excellent served with corn-bread squares, or cheesy corn quesadillas, or crispy warm sourdough bread.

Another hearty, satisfying seafood soup, this time a bisque, for a chilly fall evening. Use this recipe for almost any type seafood you have available; it’s great with leftover salmon, mussels or clams (see note), leftover cooked crab, even canned crab, clams or salmon, if necessary.

SEAFOOD BISQUE

2 T. butter

1/3 cup finely chopped green onions, including some of the tops

½ cup finely chopped celery, including some of the leaves

2 T. flour

1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half (or use all milk, but it won’t be as rich)

2 cups cooked seafood (salmon/crabmeat/clams/scallops/halibut chunks, etc.)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 T. sherry

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add onions and celery; cook for about 5 min., stirring constantly. Blend in flour, stirring for 2 min.; Gradually stir in the milk and half and half. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Add seafood and sherry and season to taste. Simmer for 5 min., stirring frequently. Serve in warmed bowls, with oyster crackers or hot rolls or pita crisps. Serves 4.

If and when we have leftover steamed clams, I look forward first to clam chowder or clam linguine, but for a special occasion brunch dish, this recipe of my grandmother’s is an unusual use of clams, especially tasty if you have some homemade applesauce for topping. Remove any leftover steamed clams from their shells and reserve them along with the clam broth, to use in these griddle cakes.

CORNY CLAM GRIDDLECAKES

1½ cups sifted flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt, or to taste

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 cups cooked clams, finely chopped

1½ cups clam broth and milk (add milk to clam broth to make necessary amount)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 cup melted butter (you could use vegetable oil, if preferred)

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in the cornmeal.

Combine clams, liquor/milk mixture, eggs and butter; add this to the dry ingredients and stir only until blended.

Drop batter by ¼-cup portions onto a hot, well-greased griddle; cook 1-2 min., then turn carefully and cook other side 1-2 min. or until golden brown. Serve hot, topped with butter and some applesauce. Serves 4-6.