By Kara Hoerr, food blogger for RD in the Midwest
I know, I know, I’m going to come right out and say that this recipe probably isn’t going to be for everyone (re: my dad, any burger purist, or any meat lover who needs meat on his/her plate for it to even be considered a meal). Well, this burger has no meat and is definitely branching out when it comes to the definition of a “burger.”
BUT, for everyone else out there who is holding on to these last summer days and flavors and who has summer veggies piling up on your counter and in your refrigerator right now, this recipe is PERFECT! Philip and I are in our second year of having a CSA share (community supported agriculture) through Ridgeland Harvest and we love having such a great variety of organic, local produce around in the summer. It branches us out from what we typically gravitate towards when shopping for vegetables in the winter and the taste can’t be beat.
Right now, our counters are filled with fresh tomatoes and we’ve been getting bunch after bunch of basil all summer long (which means we have jars and jars of this pesto in our freezer right now…can’t wait to pull these out all winter long!). Our latest box was filled with the classic, Midwest veggie fare—ears of sweet corn, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots, just to name a few.
I love it when a recipe I make includes all of the fresh ingredients I just received from the farmers’ market, road stand, or CSA box…it makes me feel like I just dominated meal time for some reason. ? And if that’s the case, then I definitely dominated the meal on all fronts when it came to this Summer Veggie-Millet Burger. Not only are all the veggies in this burger in season and in abundance right now, the combination of flavors are fresh, light, and savory all at the same time.
Make this veggie burger into a traditional burger with a whole wheat hamburger bun topped with a tomato and condiment of your choice, or add it to a bed of greens as a salad for a light lunch or dinner. I’ve had it both ways and loved each in its own way.
Who knows, maybe even the burger purists and the meat lovers will be convinced to give this last-of-the-summer veggie burger a try.
Summer Veggie-Millet Burger
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup dry millet
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 3 slices whole-wheat bread
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 whole grain hamburger buns, split and toasted
- For burger toppings: Sliced tomatoes, spinach or arugula, cheese of choice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a 2-quart saucepan, add dry millet and toast it over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Add water to saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse bread until coarse crumbs form; remove 1 cup bread crumbs. In a small bowl, combine eggs, zucchini, Asiago cheese, onion, carrot, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in millet and bread crumbs. Form into six patties. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Turn patties and bake for 5 minutes more or until golden. Serve on buns with tomato slices, fresh greens, and cheese, if desired.
Make ahead: These can easily be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator before baking. Form them into patties and lay flat on a large plate; cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
Adapted from: Hy-Vee
For more Wisconsin-inspired delicious recipes, visit the RD in the Midwest food blog.
