I already had burgers on the brain. Why, I’m not sure. There were small signs that combined to form one giant burger craving. Walking by Burger Bistro practically every day on the way to the gym (isn’t it amazing how gyms only seem to exist next door to the greatest, guilt filled food spots?), wandering around Prospect Park and seeing fresh signage for where and where NOT to barbecue, spending the weekend in Baltimore talking about grilling, and my regular access to do so… There were a lot of triggers. But probably the final straw was Serif and Spice’s recipe for Buffalo Chicken Gorgonzola Burgers. I was already on the burger cliff, teetering carefully, and Michaela went ahead and pushed me right over the edge.

Now I love buffalo chicken as much as the next person, it’s the Gorgonzola I can’t really connect with. I am a die-hard cheese lover, but somewhere, somehow my relationship with blue cheese never really developed. I’m still trying to find a blue cheese I can fall in love with. I’ve spent my share of time hanging out at Stinky Bklyn tasting their wide selection of blue cheese hater blue cheeses without much luck. So while that recipe wasn’t going to work for me, it in no way silenced my burger craving. So what do I do as a mature adult when I can’t have something? I stomp around and throw a tantrum improvise.

I knew it would be a turkey burger. First because I prefer turkey burgers at home since I never seem to find out that measures up to my standards when dining out. But also because I was out of beef and grass-fed or humane meat is hard to come by in my neighborhood. So with no intention of hopping on a train to seek my meat elsewhere, turkey it was. From there I went with what I had–fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, freshly foraged field garlic and the remains of last season’s pesto. From there it was easy.

Freshly foraged field garlic

Sundried Tomato Pesto Turkey Burgers (Serves 4-6 depending on burger size)

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 c breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c pesto
• 1/4 c freshly chopped field garlic or chives
• 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg
• 1/4 c chopped sundried tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (aim for 2-3 slices per burger)
• 4-6 rolls or buns of your choosing

In a large bowl blend all ingredients together until well incorporated. You can start with a spatula, but I always end up hand mixing to really blend everything.

Brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Form turkey mix into patties and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Flip burgers, reduce heat and cover, cooking 5 minutes on second side. Top burgers with mozzarella cheese and cook, covered until cheese has melted, additional 2-3 minutes.

Serve on buns with favorite toppings such as extra pesto, tomato jam or simple lettuce and tomatoes.

Related articles

• Tropical Turkey Burgers (healthyfortwo.com)
• Buffalo Chicken Gorgonzola Burgers (serifandspice.wordpress.com)
• Mediterranean Turkey Burgers (bkylnlocavore.com)