My photo looks so blue!  It was getting dark, people were asking for foooood, so I snapped this outside just to show that I made burgers on the first day of summer! Hence the blue hue. Turkey burgers are one of our favorites. This recipe came together ONLY because I needed something to go with the roasted chilled carrots I had made earlier. The carrots had earthy, sweet tones from the coriander honey glaze we roasted them in so I thought I’d create a burger that matched up well with this flavor profile.  We had mint, chives and parsley in the garden and a hunk of feta so this became the foundation for the recipe. They were juicy and loaded with flavor!

MAKES 4 BURGERS

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BURGERS

  • 1 lb organic turkey, ground
  • 1 organic farm egg
  • 4 oz good feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 T finely chopped organic herbs (a combination of mint, parsley, chives, or basil — best to include mint though!)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for arugula
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh organic lemon zest (or lime zest)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for arugula
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 4 slices of muenster cheese (optional)
  • 1 cucumber sliced thin
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • Brioche rolls, lightly toasted
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, lemon zest.  Mix until well incorporated.  Divide the meat mixture into four equal parts and form patties so that they are slightly larger in diameter than your buns.  The meat will shrink when cooking, so this helps ensure a bit of meat in every bite. In a cast iron skillet, on medium high heat, add olive oil. When heated, add turkey patties.  Don’t crowd, You want them to sear on each side for about 4 minutes without steaming from crowding. After 4 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes – add muenster after 2 minutes on second sear.  When done, immediately build your burgers!  We toasted the buns to hold up to the juicy turkey, sauce, veggies and arugula salad. On the bottom bun, add the turkey patty with melted cheese, top with a couple tablespoons of sauce, then cucumber and onion, finish with the arugula salad and top with other half of bun.

FOR THE ARUGULA

  • 2 C organic arugula, chilled
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

In a medium size bowl, add all ingredients and toss well.  Serve immediately.

FOR THE SPICY DILL YOGURT SAUCE

  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 2 T raw honey
  • 1 tsp dijon
  • 2-3 T fresh organic dill, chopped (or mint or basil or chives)
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes (if you don’t want spicy, omit)
  • 1 tsp fresh organic lemon zest (or lime zest)
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

COOK’S NOTES

Here’s the link for the CHILLED ROASTED CARROTS with CORIANDER HONEY & TOASTED PEPITAS: https://pepperandsaltkitchen.com/2022/06/21/chilled-roasted-carrots-with-coriander-honey-toasted-pepitas/