Light summer dinner: Scallop ceviche

I cruised through the Reading Terminal Market today after a job interview and was inspired to buy some seafood for a light dinner. Last time I made ceviche (from fish) it didn't go over too well, so I thought I'd try scallops this time. But which ones? Tiny bay scallops were $7/lb, large "wet" sea scallops were $14 and "dry" sea scallops were $18! Normally I'd buy the large dry (untreated) scallops because they caramelize so beautifully when I saute them, but I was going to cut these up anyway and I didn't want to bust my budget. One of the fishmongers had two Latino employees, and I asked their advice, but neither had heard of using scallops and they didn't seem to have personal experience making ceviche. Still, I wanted to use scallops. They're fresh and most come in through Cape May, NJ, about 100 miles from here. So I cruised the cookbook stall (no help) and epicurious (much better), and came up with the recipe below. The ceviche can be eaten as is (from a nice glass) or try preparing them like this in light soft tacos:

Scallop Ceviche

1/2 lb bay scallops, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/4 c lemon juice (one large one)

1/4 c orange juice

1/3 red onion, finely sliced

1/2 red sweet bell pepper

about 1 t cayenne pepper (I was too lazy to deal with a real jalapeño)

1 tsp salt

In a glass bowl, combine juices, pepper, cayenne, salt and onion. Add scallops, toss and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. These were pretty spicy after an hour.

Tacos

1/2 avocado, in 1/2 inch chunks

4 white corn tortillas (I'm partial to 12th Street Cantina - authentic without preservatives)

finely chopped romaine lettuce

kernels from 1 ear of corn, cooked (microwaved 3 mins.)

chopped cilantro

To make the tacos, brush olive oil on 350°F griddle and warm tortillas until golden on both sides. Off the griddle, fold each tortilla and stuff with a bit of lettuce, corn, avocado and drained scallops. Sprinkle with a little fresh cilantro.

These were great. We made 4 (two each), but we had enough scallops for at least 6. We ate them on the back porch and drank a bottle of Rogue Chipotle Ale, which was smoky and well-balanced. We recommend it with Mexican food, or maybe in the winter with split pea soup.