Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin

Burger lovers and green veggie lovers, rejoice! In a rare display of connubiality, these two epicurean entities have joined together to create one deliciously verdant turkey burger. Be gone, obligatory thin, sad slices of iceberg lettuce and tomato; measly dollop of sautéed mushrooms and onion passing implausibly as an appropriate serving of vegetables. Finally, a recipe to show that vegetables have the ability to enhance, not hinder, a traditional carnivorous burger.

They've got the right idea across the pond. In Ottolenghi's Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin, ample shredded zucchini, scallions, herbs, and spices breathe seasonally-appropriate vitality into the petite patties, little in size but certainly not in flavor.  Slather in ketchup, you will not: these viridescent burgers are accompanied by a rich, zesty yogurt-sumac dipping sauce, offering crisp acidity with the burger's flora. Another piece of brilliance by the Brits? They refer to zucchinis as courgettes.  Now, how much nobler does that make this burger sound?

I appreciated the recipe’s effort to keep the burger light; scant oil, absence of bread crumbs, and low-fat sour cream and yogurt all contribute to the dish feeling rich in flavor, only. (For those of you keeping Passover, this is a great recipe to make post-seder and keep for the week!) If you like tartness, I absolutely encourage you to invest in Sumac—it’s worth adding to your rotation of cooking spices—but the recipe definitely still works if you don’t happen to have it. Just make sure not to skimp on the added herbs and spices; these really give pop to the otherwise mild poultry meat.

Ottolenghi refers to the patties as “burgers”, but in reality, his suggested size is more like a meatball. The smaller surface area worked in my favor, because the cook time is minimal, and I was able to easily stuff 2 meatballs per pita-half, the insides of which I smeared with the yogurt sauce and then topped with Greek salad, like a falafel. While pairing with a carbohydrate like bread or bun is not essential, it certainly creates a hearty lunch or dinner—couscous or whole-grain rice are good alternatives, too.    

On the other end of the spectrum, halving the size of the meatballs (and adjusting cook time to match) makes then perfectly bite-sized for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Stick each meatball with toothpick, and serve the dipping sauce in a bowl on the side. They won’t crumble or fall apart—in Jerusalem, Ottolenghi highlights the patties' portability.

So there you have it! A burger as green, vivacious, and exciting as Spring. Burger, meatball, or courgette-speckled spheroid; whatever you call it, prepare to be wholly satisfied with each bite.  

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion & Cumin (from Jerusalem; amended slightly to skew towards the healthier)
Makes 12 to 16 meatball-sized burgers

Ingredients:

For the burgers:
1 lb ground turkey (I used Di Paola free-range, antibiotic-free white meat, but dark meat works too)
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 Tbsp neutral oil, like canola or sunflower, for searing

For the yogurt-sumac sauce:
½ cup sour cream* (preferably low fat)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (preferably low fat)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sumac
½ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

*Option to omit sour cream completely and use ½ cup extra Greek yogurt instead.
Directions:

1. Make the yogurt-sumac sauce. Place all ingredients in a small bowl, stir well, and set aside or chill until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the oil. Mix with your hands and then shape into burgers, each weighing about 1½ oz.
3. Pour 1-2 Tbsp oil into a large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the meatballs in batches on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes, adding oil as needed, until golden brown.
4. Carefully transfer seared meatballs to a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil.  Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the sauce spooned over or on the side. 

Tarragon Chicken Salad with Pecans, Apples, and Grapes

Spring! How you taunt me with your fleeting glimpses, then crush me on the day of your official arrival with a random dusting of snow. At the farmers market, the yearning echoes: bright tulips and daffodils raise expectation, but upon closer look,  the produce status quo is the same dirt-covered root vegetables we've seen the past four months.

But we are getting there! I can gleefully report that new herbs, spinach, and the first crop of peas have landed at the Union Square Greenmarket, and I am frenzied with anticipation to start cooking for warmer weather. In fact, I started early just last weekend with this Tarragon Chicken Salad with Pecans, Apples, and Grapes recipe. Because in my book, nothing says spring like a fresh tarragon sprig.

Cooking with herbs is a great way to jumpstart the arrival of spring—culinarily-speaking, that is. I encourage you to wait for the arrival of seasonal gems like asparagus, peas, rhubarb, and strawberries to greet them in their local element, the tastes will be unparalleled. Instead, conjure freshness with a smattering of fresh herbs. It's amazing what a tablespoon of tarragon, dill or chives can do to vivify a dish.

Spring also signifies the arrival of lighter fare: room-temperature, heaping-ingredient salads (my favorite!) eaten unhurriedly on an outside patio or picnic.  (Says the girl who lives in a patioless NYC apartment and is always in a hurry... I can dream). Said salads dotted with fresh fruit and nuts are always winners, and while you might chide chicken salad as pedestrian—even this waldorf variation—the tarragon, lemon juice and curry powder add really nice depth. As someone who hates mayonnaise, it's surprising how much I love chicken salad, but the key for me is go mayo-light and substitute part of it for plain Greek yogurt (or use one that's canola oil-based, it smells less).

Yet I reserve the ultimate praise for the one ingredient I have yet to mention: the chicken. Because—drumroll, por favor— only now, thanks to this recipe, did I discover the phenomenon of brining chicken! How I was not cognizant of this method for years, chewing rubbery, dry chicken with the patience of a piece of gum, I do not know. Brining the chicken breasts (which is also easy, I promise; doesn't the word sound complicated, like investing?) ensures your chicken is impossibly juicy and moist, a key distinction separating the good chicken salads (curry powder! light mayo! herbs! hooray!) from the bad (too much mayo, rubbery chicken, boo).

If you don't like chicken salad, I can't help you, and this recipe won't make you a convert. If you do like it, this recipe is wonderful representation of all this dish can offer—and a healthful one (if you use light mayo) at that, too. Springtime cooking, commence!

Tarragon Chicken Salad with Pecans, Apples, and Grapes (adapted loosely from Smitten Kitchen)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

~1 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chicken breast tenders work well)

½ c walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

4 celery ribs, diced 

2 tbsp finely chopped shallot

1 c purple grapes, halved

1 ½ c granny smith apple, diced

1/2 to 2/3 c light or canola oil-based mayonnaise (or a combo of mayo and plain Greek yogurt)

3 tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 tbsp minced parsley

½ tsp curry powder (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper
Accompaniments for serving: romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, multigrain bread or rolls

Directions:
1. Brine chicken. In a large ziplock bag, combine 2 tbsp table salt with 2 cups of water. Add chicken, release air out, and store, closed, in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Drain, rinse, and pat chicken dry. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a nonstick skillet and cook chicken, about 4 to 6 minutes on each side (less for tenders), or until meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
3. When chicken has cooled, chop into ½ inch cubes. Place chicken in a large bowl, and add all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Adjust seasonings before serving.