May 27th, Memorial Day Burgers!

Everyone has their favorite Sunday Dinner that they look forward to. Mine is Hickory Smoked Whole Chicken stuffed with lemons, garlic, Rosemary and Thyme. I serve it with Butternut Squash Pesto. It is always a big hit; it is so elegant and lovely and yummy but surprisingly easy to make. For the Memorial Day Holiday I think folks usually want less fan fair for their Bar B Que gatherings. So this is an attempt at reconstructing this culinary delight in a whole new, casual way.

For this holiday, I am grilling Turkey Burgers made with fresh herbs & lemon and topped with a Butternut Squash & Garlic Mayo.

I toss 1 lb of ground turkey in a bowl, and throw in some finely chopped fresh Rosemary and Thyme as well as the juice and zest of one lemon.

Then I add a not so full tablespoon of breadcrumbs to help bind the burgers and one large minced garlic clove.

I loosely fold all of this together with some salt and pepper, then refrigerate while I prepare the squash. If you do the squash first you still want to refrigerate your meat; it just helps it not fall apart on the grille.

Wash your squash then cut into pieces. I cut a few rings as well for a side dish. I rub each piece with garlic, sprinkle salt and pepper on top and then top with olive oil. I also leave garlic pieces to cook along side the squash in the foil that we will place on the grille.

I let the squash cook on the grill for about 45 minutes. That time just depends on how large your pieces are. I have a dial on my grille that tells when it is at optimal heat so that is how I know my grille is ready. Your coals also give tells; though I am still learning those.

Now you are ready to make the burgers. I top again with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil for the grille.

I go ahead and put a few Butternut Squash rings on the grill as well. Turkey burgers do not take very long to cook. So you can't go and try to set up your new inflatable pool, which I may or may not have done, while these were cooking. 

As I lost track of time, when I checked them, they were magically ready.

Make sure that is a clean plate...

Now it is time to make the Mayo. We have let the squash cool. Then I put mayo, garlic powder, salt, pepper and the butternut squash in a bowl and whip it up.

So good!

Now we are ready to build a burger baby! Start with a toasted bun, and a dollop of your mayo.

I add the burger, a nice slice of tomato and a slice of grilled onion. Then another dollop of mayo.

Sorry for the blur...I was excited!

I will serve this today with a mixed green salad and the grilled Butternut Squash rings drizzled with nothing more than oil and vinegar.

The Butternut Squash Mayo is just a lovely exclamation point! I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day and that if you are gathered with friends and family, I hope you enjoy good food, each others company, and the freedom we are afforded by the brave men and women who brought it to us.

Try them, then tell what you think!

Recipe:

Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

1 spring fresh rosemary

1 spring fresh thyme

1 lemon

1 large garlic clove

1 not so full tablespoon breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

Butternut Squash Mayo

1 medium sized butternut squash cut in pieces

3 tablespoons mayo

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

Additional

good burger buns; sliced tomatoes, and sliced onions – grilled.

Mixed greens

Oil and Vinegar