Many years ago, our friends Jack and Judy Harvey decided to retire early, move to Alaska, and go into the salmon business. Purchasing a home, boat and some serious fishing gear, they headed northwest.

A bold move for a Burns Park school librarian and Michigan Track Coach, but these were the days before the Exxon-Valdez oil spill and Alaskan wild salmon was considered by most to be clean, fresh and plentiful.

I've alway avoided serving salmon to them for fear they've eaten enough salmon to get them through their next life. But recently I noticed a can of salmon in Judy's cupboard. Canned salmon, really?

Jack and Judy never lost their love for salmon, and even keep a can of the canned variety as a pantry staple. Judy commented that Deming's Red Sockeye salmon was, in her opinion, from one of the best cannery's, and she prefers their flavor to other canned salmon she's tried.

Judy said her favorite way to use canned salmon was in salmon cakes, but left-over fresh salmon would be even better in this recipe. She had nothing penned, but the following recipe is pretty close to what she told me. I found the salmon flavor stronger than if I'd used fresh, but really quite good, particularly in this preparation.

Yield: 5 salmon cakes Time: (including sauce preparation): 30 minutes Cost: apx. $8.50 (with Caper Sauce)

Ingredients

1 large egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 1 medium-sized (1/2#) Idaho potato, peeled and grated 1 (14 3/4 ounce) can Deming Sockeye Red Salmon, dark skin and large bones removed and discarded, if desired; salmon meat broken up with a fork 2 tablespoons chopped green or grated onion 2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes) Canola oil for frying Lemon wedges, optional

Ingredients for Caper Sauce (optional)

1 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons strained, plain Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1-2 teaspoons horseradish 2 tablespoon capers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225˚. Combine egg and Old Bay Seasoning. Stir in grated potato, salmon and onion. Form into 5 patties. 2. Dredge both sides of each patty into panko, firmly pressing panko into patty. 3. In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, pour enough oil to coat bottom of pan 1/4-inch deep. Heat oil to medium-high heat. Fry patties, in batches, 5-6 minutes on each side. 4. When cooked through, place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, in the warm oven until ready to serve. Serve with Caper Sauce, if using.