Bonac Clam Chowder on the Menu Saturday at Springs FD

Who wouldn't like a warm bowl of hearty soup on a cold day?

The firemen in Springs have you covered on Saturday when they'll use flames to cook up a clam chowder dinner, which will be served from 4 to 7 p.m.

Fred Overton, the East Hampton Town Clerk and a longtime Springs firefighter, will make his famed Bonac Clam Chowder, that he's served at the Town Trustees' Largest Clam Contest.

David M. King, the Springs Fire Department second assistant chief, described the soup as more like a Manhattan clam chowder than a New England one, with less tomato and more clams.

And it truly is from Bonac — "Bonac Creek" that is.

"The guys dug them up and froze them over the summer," said King, who organized what he hopes will become an annual event, just like the department's roast beef dinner, which sells out every year, and the department's well-attended pancake breakfasts.

Tickets are $15 for all-you-can-eat chowder at the firehouse, or $20 for take-out and you will get a quart to take home.

Proceeds will go into the department's general fund and used to continue to support various organizations, from the food pantry to Little League. King said the department has had to change its fundraising approaches during the downed economy.

The Great Bonac Footrace, held on Labor Day, is the department's single greatest fundraiser, but the proceeds are earmarked for scholarships.

"It's a good time of year, there's not as much going on," King said, though he said it's been difficult to sell tickets in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. "I'm hoping we'll gain some legs for next year."

Tickets are available at the door on Saturday or in advance by calling King at his shop. The number is 631-324-4944.

Do you love Fred Overton's clam chowder? Tell us in the comments below.