​Last week at the Asbury Fresh farmers market, I picked up a bunch of golden beets from Rolling Hills Farm. I did a web search and found an interesting recipe, Moroccan Cold Beet Salad with Vinaigrette. The recipe was found on the “The Spruce Eats” website and is by Christine Benlafguih.  For the recipe you’ll need, red beet roots, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, and red onion. Although the recipe calls for red beets, it works perfectly with golden.
 
The vinaigrette was delightful, it was light and refreshing. Using lemon juice in lieu of vinegar was a wonderful change. Also, the substitution of yellow onion, didn’t alter the taste. I also added slivered almonds for a bit of crunch.
​To go along with the salad, I prepared Cheddar-Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Avocado. I’m not an avocado fan, therefore, I didn’t use it for burger topping. The recipe is from The New York Times/NYT Cooking App and is from Sarah Copeland. For the recipe you’ll need lean ground turkey, kosher salt, black pepper, dried parsley, an egg, milk, butter, sharp cheddar or horseradish cheddar cheese and Hawaiian buns.
 
As ground turkey is lean, the recipe has a slice of butter and cheese enrobed by the meat. It adds both flavor and moisture. In place of dried parsley, use fresh if you have it, it will brighten the taste of whatever it’s added too.
 
The burgers are cooked on a flat-top griddle or cast-iron skillet with just enough butter to coat the bottom. They are cooked about 4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. It seems I forgot to set aside additional cheddar cheese to go on top of the burgers! In any event, they were delicious! The butter and cheese combination in the middle made for juicy burgers. I’m sure an extra slice of cheddar on top of the burger would have made them extra delicious, plus made the burger more flavorful. Next time!
Moroccan Cold Beet Salad with Vinaigrette
By Christine Benlafguih from the website “the Spruce Eats”
​
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 90 minutes
Total: 105 minutes
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
2 pounds red beetroots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt, to taste, optional
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional
Minced or slivered red onion, to taste, optional
Steps to Make It
  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Rinse the beetroots. Place in a pot or pressure cooker and cover with cold water. Boil or pressure cook the beets until tender. Test by piercing the beet with a sharp knife; if it can be inserted into the center, the beet is cooked. This can take up to an hour and a half when boiling, and up to 40 minutes when pressure cooking—how long depends on how large the beets are. If the beets you're cooking are different sizes, simply check the cooking at intervals and remove the beets one by one as they're done, drain the beets, rinse under cold running water and slide the skins off while the beets are still warm.
  3. Allow the beets to cool.
  4. Cut the beets into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices of uniform thickness, and then cut each slice into uniformly sized cubes. 
  5. Transfer the cubed beets to a large bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.
  6. Prior to serving, taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if desired. The salad may be garnished with freshly slivered onion or a little more parsley.
Cheddar-Stuffed Turkey Burger with Avocado
Sarah Copeland, NYT Cooking
 
Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
 
1¼ pounds lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1teaspoon dried parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for cooking
5 (1-ounce) slices sharp Cheddar or horseradish Cheddar
4 Hawaiian hamburger buns
1 to 2 firm-ripe avocado, thinly sliced
Mayonnaise or other burger toppings (pickles, lettuce, tomato, mustard), to taste
 
 
Preparation
  1. Combine the turkey, salt, pepper and parsley in a large bowl and mix with a fork or clean hands to season evenly. Add the egg and milk and stir to combine.
  2. Divide the meat into four portions with damp hands and gently pack into four round patties, about ¾-inch thick. (It will feel very sticky because of the egg, which helps burgers hold their shape as they cook.) Place burgers on a parchment-lined baking tray or plate. Cut the butter into slices and 1 slice of the cheese into 4 thin squares, about 1 inch across. (The butter and cheese should be the same size.) Press a piece of each into the center of each burger. Shape the meat around it to cover across the top. Refrigerate for 10 minutes while you prepare the griddle.
 
  1. Heat a flat-top griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough butter just lightly coat the griddle or pan. Add the burgers to the griddle and cook until browned and just cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the meat (not the cheese in the center) reaches 165 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. In the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the remaining 4 cheese slices to the burgers, to melt.
 
  1. Remove the burgers from the heat and layer onto the buns with the avocado and any other burger toppings you desire. Serve warm.