CSA Week 3

More lettuce!

Yep, week three brought us another head of delicious (and redundant) lettuce.  This is definitely the point of contention between Pasquale and the CSA - too much lettuce.  And being that we're not big salad people, I am definitely running out of creative uses for it. 

Lucky for us, the other items in this week's batch were a bit more promising.  We received the below produce in week three:

Leaf lettuce
Zucchini
Broccoli
Young red onions
Cherry tomatoes
Thyme

And we definitely like broccoli in our household!

In the end, it was the lettuce (again) that drove the menu.  I ultimately decided on some down and dirty veggie burgers that could have lettuce on them.  Total cop-out, but a successful one!

However, one should probably not attempt to create new recipes while sick. I over estimated the amount of egg needed in the recipe, the seasoning tasted off to me (though Pat and my gut told me it was right), and I definitely misjudged the burger to bun ratio.  But in the end, they were DELICIOUS!  They held together nicely and have a great umami flavor. The combination of the sauce and pickles with the burgers was perfection.  Pasquale sang their praises all evening (which is HUGE for a picky non-vegetarian), even asking me to make them for our families!  Unfortunately, I just don't have a finalized recipe to share.  I'll throw out the working version, but will need to test again when I'm not under the weather to confirm it's accuracy.  But if you're gutsy, feel free to give it a go!

Broccoli-Mushroom Veggie Burgers

Recipe will make 8 big burgers or 10-12 small burgers. 

Burger ingredients:
1 sm head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups florets)
10 oz baby bella/cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 young red onions (those bulbous scallions) or 1 small red onion, large diced
1 can black beans, drained
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1 T worcheshire sauce
2 t chipotle Tabasco (or whatever you like/have on hand)
1 t garlic powder
1T olive oil
1 XL egg
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c GF bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

To serve:
8-12 slices sharp cheddar cheese
8-12 buns depending on the size of your burgers (we used Trader Joe's Gluten Free buns, but Canyon, Udi's and Rudi's make great ones too)
2-4 T butter to toast the buns
1 head leaf lettuce
Curried Cherry Tomato Aioli (recipe below)
Pickled Zucchini (recipe below)

1. In a food processor, pulse together broccoli, mushrooms and red onions until uniformly chopped.  You're looking for around a medium dice.
2.  Add remaining burger ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and pulse until mixture comes together.  Vegetables should be minced, not blended, and all should bind together in a ball.  Add another egg if too thick or extra bread crumbs if too runny. 
3. This is where it get's a little dicey.  I used too much egg and the mixture was WAY too soft.  As such, they fell apart when I tried to sear them in a non-stick skillet. I ended up baking them on a sheet pan, drizzled with a little oil, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Look for a solid texture and brown on all sides. Top with cheese for the last couple minutes of cooking.
4. Butter and toast the buns in a skillet or on a pan, particularly if you are using gluten free buns. Trust me.
5. Assemble the buns with a burger patty, lettuce, aioli and pickled zucchini. Enjoy!

Curried Cherry Tomato Aioli

Ingredients:
1 scant pint of cherry tomatoes (less than a pint for no other reason than that's what we were given)
1 T olive oil
1 + t curry powder
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper
1/2 c mayo (we use Hampton Creek Just Mayo in our household)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes.  Toss with oil, curry powder, sugar, salt and pepper and spread onto foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Roast until soft and skins are blistered, about 25 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in mayo and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Feel free to make your own mayo or aioli from scratch for this recipe.  I'm sick, so I cheated :)

Pickled Zucchini

Ingredients:
2/3 c white vinegar
2/3 c water
1 t sugar
1 T salt
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 scallions (I used the tops from one of the spring onions)
1 zucchini, sliced into thin ribbons with a mandolin or vegetable peeler

1. In small saucepan, bring vinegar and water to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Whisk in sugar and salt until dissolved.
2. Transfer to a lidded container and stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Refrigerate container. Allow to sit, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 hours or preferably overnight.


Sorry the burger recipe is a little unclear.  Next time we make them, I'll be sure to come back to update the post.  Until then, happy eating!