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Creative Cooking -- Maryland Crab Cakes and More
 Mark Whalen is the director of dining and hospitality at The Jefferson, a Sunrise independent condominium community in Northern Virginia with 450 residents. He is also a trained chef, having graduated from the L’Academie de Cuisine culinary school in 1987 and worked at many of the finest hotels and restaurants throughout the Washington, D.C., area. Soon after arriving at The Jefferson, he created “Great Dinners at The Jefferson,” a six-course meal paired with a flight of wine that is offered every other month by reservation only and limited to 18 guests. One of his favorite Great Dinners entrées is Maryland Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Butter and Silver Queen Corn Relish. “Those ingredients remind me of growing up in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland,” he says. “The warmer months in Bay Country mean two things—blue crabs and Silver Queen corn. I have made this recipe several times over the years, always to rave reviews. Enjoy!” Crab Cakes 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat 1 large egg, slightly beaten ½ cup crushed saltine crackers 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 1 teaspoon dry mustard Combine everything except the crabmeat and crushed crackers and mix thoroughly. Add the crabmeat and crushed crackers. Gently mix, being careful not to break up the lump crabmeat. Let stand for five minutes. Form into crab cakes. Sauté in peanut oil, broil, or deep-fry. Green Tomato Butter 3 medium green tomatoes, cored 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter (cold) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Pinch of kosher salt Pinch of white pepper Put green tomatoes in a food processor and puree for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and puree until butter is thoroughly incorporated. Whisk gently over medium heat until hot. Do not let boil. Serve immediately. Silver Queen Corn Relish 5 ears Silver Queen corn (or similar sweet white corn) ¼ cup diced red pepper ¼ cup diced yellow pepper 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño pepper ¼ cup diced red onion 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Salt, ground black pepper, and sugar to taste Shuck corn and cut kernels from the ears with a sharp knife. Cook corn kernels in boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain corn and cool. Toss with remaining ingredients. Serve chilled.
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