Still working on the better for you but still tastes good burger

Last summer I wrote about the blueberry burger This is the peach burger instead of blueberry, unsweetened peach chunks made into a paste and added to the ground beef.
Pretty good and juicy.

wine recommendation: merlot

The Hybrid Burger -part veggie part the real deal

Besides fried chicken, I also like hamburgers. This burger is a combination of ground beef, cannelini beans and mushrooms. The beans and mushrooms are cooked and ground before being added to the ground beef mixture. Form into patties and fry them up. I'm working toward a patty that isn't a meatloaf burger but has the texture and taste of hamburger alone. This is pretty good version. It is half beef, 1/4 beans and 1/4 mushrooms. Cook for less time then a regular hamburger as half the ingredients are already cooked. Another important factor is less bun to burger ration. I used the same whole wheat dough I use for my pizza. Adding a little cheese can't hurt. My pet peeve is a cheeseburger with the cheese slapped on and not melted...got to be gooey goodness for a real cheeseburger.

Wine Recommendation: old vine zinfandel

Burdock Root

I'm trying to add new vegetables to my diet. So far Orchard Farms does the best job of bringing unusual and not widely available items to the Santa Rosa Farmers Market. Last week purple kohlrabi and this week burdock root. Looks pretty homely but it actually fairly easy to prepare. The skin is thin and scrapes right off. Raw it tastes like raw turnip or a very mild radish. Cooked it is sweet kind of like a parsnip.

I diced the burdock root and used it in a stir fry with brussel sprouts flavored with soy, thai fish sauce and sour orange juice. Pretty darn good. I shredded some and added it to a cole slaw --tangy. I also used the shreds in a simple pickle -water and vinegar boiled and then poured over the shreds. Wine Recommendations: Sancerre or Reisling


Nutritional Highlights
Burdock can be termed a health food simply by virtue of its high fiber and low calorie content. It is also a very good source of potassium and a moderate source of iron and calcium. (In 1/2 cup of the fresh root there are 180 mg of phosphorus, 50 mg of calcium, 58 mg of phosphorus, 1.4 mg of iron, 0.03 mg of thiamine and 0.05 mg of riboflavin.) But perhaps the most unique aspect of the root is its very high amount of inulin, a naturally occuring phytochemical that mimics the actions of insulin. According to one source, from 27% to 45% of the root is inulin and some people have found it an effective food to control hypo-glycemia and pre-diabetes conditions.


Medicinal Value
Burdock is a root that is found in Europe in Asia. It has many medicinal qualities and has been used in many herbal remedies. The root is sweet to the taste and has a gummy consistency. Traditionally, burdock has been used as a remedy for measles, arthritis, tonsillitis, viruses like colds, throat pain, and as a diuretic. In modern times, burdock is also used in oncology and to treat many other serious health problems


Two recipes
burdock pickle

Kimpira Gobo

Sour Orange and Sweet Limes

Sour Oranges are indeed sour! I got these at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market.
This is a great marinade from 3 Guys -Cuban. A mojito works fine for a drink.

This was my favorite Special Hot & Sour Orange Soup (Geng Som Pla) from about.com Wine Recommendation Pinot Grigio

Sweet Limes are sweet! From Amy's Pickles

Another great recipe from About.com for a thai style roast chicken.

I love fried chicken

I love fried chicken and am always looking for a way to justify eating it (and frying it up at home.) This version is boneless skinless breasts dredged in whole wheat flour and stuffed with mustard greens!

Wine Recommendation: Silvano Follador Prosecco Valdobbiadene "Cartizze" Superiore or a buttery chardonnay

February Santa Rosa Farmers Market

Besides Kohlrabi, the Santa Rosa Farmers Market has mushrooms, lots of citrus, hardy greens, apples, sweet potatoes and turnips.

Kohlrabi

February at the Santa Rosa, California Farmers Market has a lot of fun and interesting looking vegetables including both the green and purple kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is a good vegetable to purchase if you want to support increased crop diversity and have something good for you and that is very versatile.

Kohlrabi is a good source of vitamin C and potassium. It is low in both sodium and calories. One cup diced and cooked kohlrabi contains only 40 calories and 140% of the RDA for vitamin C. You can eat them raw --turnip-y, boiled, roasted just about anyway you can think of..

Here are a couple of sites with kohlrabi recipes. Cook It Simply also has advice on purchasing and storage

Fom Simply Recipes a very eclectic collection of uses

Just vegetables has another good list.