mid-week dining al fresco

we had a nice little dinner for two last night, sitting on the porch, watching the clouds gather for a storm. crab cakes - which i thought i could entice the kiddo to eat if i called them "crabby patties" a la sponge bob (didn't work), garlic bread, and a green salad.

i've been trying to avoid the black hole of time known as the computer when i'm at home, and dipping into my recipe box and collection of cookbooks more and more. so for this meal, instead of killing 3 hours on pinterest or chowhound looking for recipes, i went to my old standby, ruth spear's cooking fish and shellfish.

she actually recommended tartar sauce to go with the crabcakes, but i am a fan of remoulade and will look for an excuse to make it. i thought i had anchovy paste in the cupboard, but i was mistaken, so i substituted one actual anchovy instead. also, rather than garlic and onions, i used the lovely scapes that came in our veg box. the result is more subtle, but lovely.

garlic scape remoulade

6 garlic scapes
1 anchovy
2 tbs capers (drained)
2 tsp fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh tarragon
grated zest of a lemon
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
chop the first 5 ingredients all together - i used a mezzaluna on a wooden chopping board for this. combine with lemon zest and add to mayonnaise. stir well. best made a few days ahead so the flavours have time to come together.

crab cakes

2 cups crab meat
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (i needed more, as they were too wet)
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp worcester sauce
butter for frying

combine all ingredients, except the butter. allow to sit for a minute so the crumbs can absorb some of the liquid. shape into patties - the recipe recommended 4 or 6, but i made 8 smaller ones - and place on a tray lightly dusted with breadcrumbs so they're easier to handle. fry in butter, 3-5 minutes each side, until nicely golden.