RECIPE: STUFFED BLUE CHEESE BURGERS

Blue cheese and red onion on a burger have become a classic combination. Stuff the blue cheese into the center of the burger before grilling and the cheese will melt right into the meat.

Stuff blue cheese inside the burger before grilling for these Stuffed Blue Cheese burgers.

STUFFED BLUE CHEESE BURGERS

Skill level: Easy  

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

 2 ½  pounds 80/20 ground beef

4 ounces soft blue cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

buns

2 tablespoons butter

 INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the grill or light the charcoal. I use a chimney starter so my coals are always hot when I’m ready to start grilling.  

Put the ground beef in a bowl with salt, pepper and Worcestershire. Mix together and divide the meat into 6 equal parts. Form patties but do not overwork them or make them too dense. Poke a hole in the side of each burger and place a tablespoon or so of blue cheese- about the size of a quarter- inside and seal. Drizzle the patties with olive oil and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Set aside. Slice red onion on the thick side. Brush with olive oil. Prepare the buns by slicing them in half and lightly buttering each side.

Once the grill is hot, lightly oil the grill with a brush. Grill the burgers and the onion. Cook 3 minutes on one side. Flip and cook the burgers to 155 degrees, about 3-4 minutes more. Remove to a platter; tent with foil for 5 minutes. Lightly toast the buns.  Top each bun with red onion slice, lettuce, tomato, and a slice of pickle.

RECIPE: SUMMER GAZPACHO IN CUCUMBER CUPS

SUMMER GAZPACHO IN CUCUMBER CUPS

We grow a lot of cucumbers each summer so a tomato and cucumber gazpacho always shows up on my summer menus. They are so nice because guests can shoot the gazpacho and then eat the cup. No clean up! The key is to keep them super chilled so it stays crisp and fresh.

SUMMER GAZPACHO IN CUCUMBER CUPS

Skill Level: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes   Cook Time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced + 6 more for serving

1/2 cup bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 cup tomato juice

1 handful fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash hot sauce like Tabasco or tiny pinch cayenne

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

6 cucumbers, peeled and cut into 2 ½ -3” slices; scoop out the inside but leave at least 1/2 inch on the bottom to create an edible cup. Chill.  

To peel the tomatoes, dip them in boiling water for a few seconds first. (Note: many chefs will then also dip the tomato in an ice bath to stop the cooking. If you only allow the tomato to stay in the boiling water 7-10 seconds, you can skip the ice bath) When cooled, the skin will peel easily. Prep and dice all of the vegetables and put them in a glass bowl. Put the tomato juice in a container. Add the basil leaves and whir with an immersion blender until smooth; strain into the bowl with the prepped vegetables. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours up to 6 hours before serving.  Check salt and seasoning before serving. Pour into the cucumber cups and chill again before serving.

RECIPE: SOUTHERN SUMMER SQUASH WITH SWEET ONIONS

Where I live in Alabama, we are able to grow an abundance of yellow (summer) squash in the garden and it is always on the table in the summer. This is the way my mom cooked yellow squash and it is still my favorite way. Although I used black pepper for this batch, my mom only used white pepper for her squash.

For summer squash from the garden, you can cook it with or without onions. We prefer sweet onions but yellow (Spanish) onions are equally delicious. There's also the white pepper vs black pepper debate. Purists will say you must only use white pepper. You can see I opted for black pepper here.

SUMMER SQUASH AND SWEET ONIONS

Skill Level: Easy    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6-8 medium yellow squash, sliced

1-2 Vidalia onions, sliced thin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup cold water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper (the old school way is with white pepper so use that if you have it)

INSTRUCTIONS

Use a large skillet with a lid. Put the butter in the skillet and let it melt over low heat. Once it is melted, add the onions and increase the heat to medium. Stir and cook the onion until it is softened and turns yellow, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to brown the onion, you want to cook them slowly. Add the squash and salt. Stir once. Put the lid on and let it cook for 5 minutes without opening the lid. Stir. Add the water. Bring to a boil and cook without the lid for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook with the lid on, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Check seasoning; add more salt and pepper if you need to.