May: Month of the Burger... Bonus! - Greek Chicken Burger

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May 25, 2020

Bonus – Greek Chicken Burger

- 1 – 2 packages of Elm Run Farms green onion chicken patties
- Buns… the good ones
- Feta cheese
- Lettuce leaves, ripe tomato, onion
Tzatziki topping
- 1 cup whole Greek milk yogurt
- 1 English cucumber, seeded, finely grated & drained
- 2 Cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Start with thaw, cold patties. Patties are easier to work with when they’re cold, but you don’t want them to be frozen in the center.

Bring grill to heat and place patties on grill. The hottest part of the grill is typically in the center and towards the back. Placing the patties above heat will help sear the meat to prevent it from falling apart.

You want to move / flip the patties as little as possible. Also, don’t give into the temptation to press the patties with a flipper. Chicken patties are already lean – leave all the juices in the patty or it may dry out.

Once the patties are on the grill, close the lid and let the heat do its work.

Next, toast the buns. Lightly drizzle the cookie sheet with oil and sprinkle it with salt & pepper. Place the soft part of the bun in the sheet just long enough for it to get a light coating of oil. The oil will help the bun heat up and keep it from sticking to the grill. Buns can also be toasted in a oven set to "Broil".

Flip patties at 2 – 3 minutes or when the bottom has a good sear and prominent grill marks. Shortly after the patties are flipped, place buns soft side down on the grill. Remove buns when the soft side is crispy.

Check the patties 2 – 3 minutes after flipping them. When both sides have grill marks, lower heat on the grill to finish cooking the patties. If possible, turn off inner burners and move the patties to the center of the grill. This allows them to keep cooking from indirect heat.

Make the Tzatziki topping: in a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill. Season with salt & pepper.

Have the Tzatziki, Feta cheese, lettuce, tomato, and buns ready before the burgers have finished cooking.

Maple Syrup in October?!

You know how some people do "Christmas in July" events? How about maple syrup in October?! Actually, I'm told it IS possible to make syrup in the fall...any time the weather fluctuates between freezing and thawing, sap is drawn up into the tree and can be harvested. Apparently the yield (amount of sap/number of gallons of syrup) is not as good, and also the flavor is not quite as good, but we don't have experience with that. Obviously we aren't there yet weather-wise...it's still too warm. And no, we aren't tapping trees in the fall! But last spring, we saved bottling time during the busiest sugaring days by filling a 40-gallon barrel to use later. A few days ago we opened that barrel and bottled the syrup. So it felt a bit like sugaring season. And that maple aroma when you walk into the sugar house...I never get tired of that!! Grade B Maple Syrup This past spring we ended up with a bunch of end-of-the-season syrup that we felt was not up to our flavor standards (we have a reputation to protect!) so we weren't planning to sell it. However, we have since realized that we can make it available as "Grade B" syrup. A few years ago the USDA changed the grading system for maple syrup. The new system has four Grade A syrups: Grade A Golden: Delicate taste Grade A Amber: Rich taste Grade A Dark: Robust taste Grade A Very Dark: Strong taste This was done because many people were confused by "Grade A" and "Grade B", thinking that Grade A was a superior quality. In reality there is no difference in quality, only in texture and taste. So it's more a matter of personal preference. While the official grading system has changed, many people still refer to "Grade A" and "Grade B" syrup. Grade B syrup, typically produced later in the season (when sap has a lower sugar content and more microbial activity), has a darker color, bolder flavor, thicker viscosity, and increased minerals. It is often used in cooking and baking. Grade B syrup is hard to find as a retail product because much of it goes to bakeries and such. We now have it available while supplies last. You can order it here.

May: Month of the Burger... Bonus! - Greek Chicken Burger

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