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1
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat.
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2
Add the string beans and cook 3 minutes.
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3
Stir in the corn and cook until the vegetables are tender but still firm, about 2 minutes.
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4
Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.
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5
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
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6
Add 4 of the garlic cloves and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
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7
Carefully pour in the tomatoes and vegetable stock or water, sprinkle with the crushed red pepper, and season lightly with salt.
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8
Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to simmering.
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9
Cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes are softened and the soup is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.
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10
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide 4-quart casserole.
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11
Add the remaining 4 cloves garlic and cook, shaking the casserole, until the garlic is golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
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12
Slide the clams into the casserole, cover with a lid, and cook 2 minutes, shaking the pan several times.
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13
Pour the tomato-stock mixture into the casserole, stir in the string beans and corn, and bring to a vigorous boil.
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14
Cook, covered, until the clams open, about 4 minutes.
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15
Stir the clams once or twice so they cook evenly.
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16
Remove from the heat, discard any clams that havent opened, and stir in the parsley and basil.
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17
Taste and season with salt if necessary.
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18
Divide the clams among warm soup bowls and, if you like, drizzle each bowl with a little extra-virgin olive oil.
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19
Pass a basket of the zoccoli or bread separately.
