CRAB CAKES

This was the first time I ever made crab cakes!  Now that I know how easy it is, I think they are going to be a regular in the dinner rotation in this house.  It took no time to combine the ingredients, then form them into adorable little "cakes", then broil for 10 minutes.  Done!  I like pure crab cakes, meaning: mostly crab, no veggies, not a lot of breading.  I used a minimal amount of panko breadcrumbs just to hold them together.  Use what suits your taste!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons mayo
2 teaspoons Old Bay
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard (you can use actual mustard if you so desire)
1 egg, beaten
1 lb fresh lump crab meat
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (more or less, depending on preference)

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well.  Gently fold in crab meat, using your hands or a big mixing spoon.  Gradually add in breadcrumbs until it feels like the crab meat is loosely held together.  Be gentle so you have big lumps of crab, not shredded little bits.

For crab cakes a bit bigger than a golfball, form 6 round patties.  If you want quarter pound monsters, make 4 patties.  I like mine tall and round, but you can always make them flatter, like a burger.  Sprinkle some extra Old Bay on top!

Broil on high for 10 minutes.  Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a side of remoulade.

ROASTED VEGGIE PASTA IN CREAMY FETA SAUCE

Since summer began I've been obsessing over squash and zucchini from the farmer's market.  Normally when I buy yellow squash at the grocery store, it is pale yellow and just okay.  But the bright, bold yellow zucchini from the Saturday market is so much better!  Look how beautiful it is:

So my go-to side dish these days has been roasting these beauties with red onion, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Then I mix it in a bowl with some crumbled feta and red wine vinegar.  The veggies are still warm enough to give the feta a perfect melty/solid balance.

So today I was about to make the veggies but realized I wanted them to be more substantial, more like a meal.  Enter my best friend: pasta!  That and a splash of pasta water and you've got a delicious, saucy dish.  Measurements are rough, since I made this on a whim, but just use your best judgement and you'll be fine.

Ingredients

1/2ish pound any short pasta
1 large green zucchini
1 large yellow zucchini
1 large red onion
olive oil
dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
red wine vinegar
1 lbish crumbled feta (buy a block and crumble it yourself!  so much better!)
1/4-1/2 cup pasta water

Preheat your oven to 475 for the veggies.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Medium dice the zucchini and thinly slice the onion.  Drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil then toss the veggies on there.  Generously season with oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix with tongs or your hands to thoroughly combine, then drizzle on some more olive oil.  Roast for 7ish minutes, stir, then roast for about 7 more minutes.  You want your veggies to be colorfully cooked but still have a little bite.  Remove from oven and set aside.
While the veggies are in the oven boil your pasta to al dente, or a little bit shy of al dente.  It'll cook more when you simmer all the ingredients together.  Reserve a cup of pasta water (you won't use it all, but better safe than sorry) before you drain the pasta.  Keep the stove on.  Put the pasta back in the pot and drop the veggies on top.  Splash on some red wine vinegar and add the feta.  Splash in some pasta water and give it a good stir while it simmers on low heat.  If it seems too tight, add a little more pasta water.  Simmer and stir for a couple minutes until it gets thicker, saucy and combined.  Taste and add more salt, pepper and oregano as necessary.  I added a couple extra pinches here to bring out the natural flavor.  Serve immediately!