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Burger with Onions & Mushrooms

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Adapted from recipes by My Nourished Home and The Kitchn, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Photo by Pattie Garrett

For the Onions and Mushrooms:
● 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil*
● 3 Tablespoons butter*
● 2 large sweet onions*
● 16 ounces mushrooms* (shiitake* and/or oyster*)

For the burgers:
● 2 pounds ground beef*
● 1/2 small onion*, finely chopped
● 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
● 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
● 1 teaspoon garlic powder
● Freshly ground black pepper
● 6 hamburger buns, split

Instructions

For the Onions and Mushrooms:
1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter on medium-low. Peel and slice the onions into long, thin slices. Place the onions in the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and carefully toss to coat all the onions in the oil and butter. Allow to caramelize, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes. They’ll turn a warm brown color.
2. Add the mushrooms to the onions, carefully toss to coat them with oil. Continue to cook on medium-low. The mushrooms will become soft and browned.

For the burgers:
3. Heat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill to high heat (about 450°F). On a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to create high heat and a low heat cooking zone (direct and indirect grilling). Meanwhile, prepare the burger patties.
4. Season the beef. Place the ground beef on a baking sheet and gently pat it into a log. Use your thumb to make a deep trough in the center. Sprinkle the onions evenly into the trough. Whisk the Worcestershire, tamari or soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Sprinkle this over the onions. Finish with a few grinds of fresh black pepper over everything.
5. Shape the patties. Pinch the ground beef closed around the onions. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions using a chef knife, a bench scraper, or your fingers. Use your hands to gently flatten each portion into a patty about 1-inch thick. Try not to compact or overwork the meat. Let the burgers sit at room temperature until the grill is ready, about 20 minutes.
6. Grill the burgers. Place the patties on the grill in a single layer. Cook until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until grill marks appear on the second side, about 2 minutes more. If using a charcoal grill, move the patties to a lower-heat (indirect) area of the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium. Grill 2 to 3 minutes more for medium-rare burgers, 3 to 4 minutes more for medium, or 5 to 6 minutes more for well-done burgers.
7. Assemble the burgers. Place a patty on each toasted bun and serve with toppings.

Grilled Lamb Chops

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Recipe by American Lamb, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Marinade:
● 3 Tablespoons olive oil
● 4 garlic cloves, chopped
● 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary*, minced
● 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
● zest from 1 lemon
● ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
● ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
● 2 pounds lamb chops* (4 chops)
● 1 pound cherry tomatoes*, on vine or skewered
● 1 teaspoon plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the salad:
● 5 ounces baby arugula*
● 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
● 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes

Instructions
1. For marinade: Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the chops with salt. Place the chops in a shallow dish. Rub the marinade into the chops to coat evenly on all sides. Cover loosely and marinade at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Rub the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt.

3. Allow the excess marinade to drip off the chops and place on a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the tomatoes around the perimeter of the pan. Cover and cook, turning the chops once until nicely charred on both sides and it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees. Cook the tomatoes until blistered and lightly charred.

4. Transfer the grilled chops and tomatoes to a large platter and cover loosely with foil to rest.

5. For the salad: In a large bowl, toss the arugula with remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil, vinegar, and salt. Mound the salad in the center of a serving platter and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Arrange the chops and tomatoes on the salad. Serve immediately.

Note:
The original recipe grills the lamb chops on a gas grill.

Planning a Summer Supper on the Grill

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

A great perk of summer is eating outdoors. My husband and I do this as often as we can manage. About 7 p.m., he gathers up wood and gets a fire going in our old charcoal goal. As the wood burns down to coals, I prep. Then, we cook and eat slowly, sipping wine and beer, watching the sun set and sky darken to dusk.

What goes on the grill? Where does it come from?

Most of what we eat comes from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market or our farm. What goes on the grill depends on what’s in season.

Grilled sirloin from Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

The centerpiece of most of our meals is meat, farm-raised and brought to an ambient temperature, maybe brushed with a bit of Dancing Ewe Farm’s olive oil, maybe sprinkled with black pepper or garlic, maybe topped with finely chopped rosemary or sage.

The “maybes” are truly that. Options. The meats our farmers bring to market come from animals that feast on the flavorful bounty of outdoor pastures, and rarely require much to enhance their flavor. We rotate between chicken, goat, pork, fish, lamb, and beef.

With meat as the main course, vegetables in all shapes, textures, and tastes enhance the overall meal.

I plan a supper’s vegetables around three basic cooking styles: roasted, sautéed, and right on the grill. Roasted is usually a starch – such as hakurei turnips, trimmed, wrapped in foil and cooked until fork-soft and slightly caramelized. For sautéed, try a bunch of seasonal greens such as tatsoi, tossed into a frying pan or wok with olive oil, lemon juice, and maybe chopped onion, green garlic, or chive. Stir fry the greens for 2-4 minutes until they have wilted. Right on the grill is anything that likes a slight singe. For instance, zucchini, cooked until tender with a blackened patten from the grill.

Grilled lamb chops from Elihu Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Summer supper possibilities on the grill are endless. Try your own combinations and stop by the market to share your results.

On Wednesdays, locally raised meat and poultry may be found at Ramble Creek Farm, Slate River Farms, and Squashville Farm. On Saturdays, Elihu Farm, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, M&A Farm, and Ramble Creek Farm. Fish and seafood may be found at Pura Vida Fisheries. And, cured meats not for grilling may be found at Dancing Ewe Farm.