Sunday Night Dinner

Midsummer Veggie Burger
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

I know this picture isn't very good, but we had a few dinner guests and I didn't want to make a big fuss over taking food porn pics at the dinner table. The burgers themselves, however, were awesome and earned enthusiastic thumbs-up from all present - vegan and omni alike.

The recipe is from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

Midsummer Vegetable Burger

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 small red onion, halved
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 minced fresh chile (like jalapeno or Thai), or to taste, or hot red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste (omitted because I'm a wuss but if you've got the stones, go for it!)
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 medium zucchini, grated (about 1 cup)
  
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
  
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
  
• A little all-purpose flour, if needed, for binding

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep non-stick or cast-iron skillet with lid over medium heat. Put the onion, garlic, and chile in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind almost smooth. Add the mixture to the pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook and stir.
   
2. Stir the zucchini into the onion mixture along with 1/2 cup of the corn and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the remaining corn into a food processor and let the machine run until it becomes a thick paste. Continue to cook and stir the zucchini mixture until the veggies release all their water and it starts to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn paste and the cornmeal. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too wet, stir in a little flour to help bind it. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
   
3. Form 4 to 6 patties (I ended up with 5) and let sit for a few minutes if you have time. 
   
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the burgers until they are deeply colored, about 15 minutes. Then flip and bake for 15 minutes more.

This recipe rocks! Infinitely better than any store-bought or restaurant veggie burger I've ever had. I served them on whole wheat buns with sliced tomato and drizzled pesto. The flavors are fresh and just sing summer-time through and through.  I prepared the mixture in the morning and then stored it in the fridge 'til I was ready to form the burgers and cook them.  This made things super easy!

Suggested musical accompaniment: Anarchy Burger (Hold the Government) by The Vandals

Also on the plates were servings of Orzo with Creamy Corn Sauce. It was a truly spectacular end to Corn Week.

Well cats and kittens, it's been fun. I'll catch you on the flip side when I return to regularly scheduled blogging, tomorrow.