Peach-Kissed Turkey Burgers and Baked Zucchini Fries

Corn on the Cob is available so that means Summer is finally here!

We like to buy our corn from a local farmer that sells it out of the back of his truck on the side of the road.  We love their corn so much that we will buy some at least once a week until we are sick of it, but you can't really get sick of corn on the cob.  At one point we will purchase 5 dozen ears of corn or more and remove the delicious kernels from the cob and freeze them to enjoy them all year round.

The very first visit of the season to buy corn they also had zucchini for purchase.  We bought some zucchini and some corn and put together this wonderful summer meal.

I love, love this turkey burger recipe!  Turkey can sometimes dry out and not have much flavor.  But these burgers do not disappoint in either area!

Peach-Kissed Turkey Burgers

recipe adapted from Savoring the Seasons Cookbook/Our Best Bites 

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

20 ounces ground turkey breast

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup peach jam

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4-6 buns or rolls

lettuce

onion slices

tomatoes

1.Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender and garlic is fragrant.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

2. Place ground turkey in a mixing bowl and break up with a fork.  Add parsley, salt, pepper, peach jam , mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.  Add the sauteed onion and garlic and all oil left in pan.  Important note: Do not discard the olive oil.  Adding it to the meat improves the burgers' texture and keeps them moist.  Use a fork to gently toss the meat to distribute ingredients evenly.  To keep meat tender, do not overwork.

3. Divide meat into 4 large patties or 6 smaller patties, forming evenly sized balls and then gently shaping into patties.  Burgers can be made up to this point and then frozen or stored in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before cooking.  For best results, chill patties at least 1 hour before cooking.

4. Preheat indoor grill pan, skillet on the stove top, or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.  Brush hot cooking surface with vegetable oil.  Place patties on cooking surface and cook 5-7 minutes on each side (flip only once), or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

5. Spread toasted buns with mayo, lettuce, onion, and tomatoes.

Tip: Because most ground turkey is so lean, it has a tendency to shrink while cooking.  After you form the patties make a 1/2 inch deep indentation with your thumb and your burgers will stay patty-shaped.

I do not much care for zucchini in savory form, but I love these fries! 

Baked Zucchini Fries
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites 

About 1 lb. zucchini
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs*
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow pie plate and set aside.

Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half so you have two short, stubby pieces. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half, making 2 planks. Repeat with the remaining halves (so you’ll get 16 planks per zucchini).

Stack 2 planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Thicker strips will yield “meatier” fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini. When all the fries are cut, blot the pieces with a paper towel.

Working with a small handful at a time, dip the zucchini sticks in the egg, shake them to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed; you just don’t want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they’ll soak up moisture from the egg and won’t stick to the zucchini. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the zucchini strips have been coated.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the prepared oven then remove from oven, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini is not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with Pizza Sauce or Ranch Dressing Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

*If you don't have or can't find any Italian-Style Panko Bread Crumbs, just add 1/2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp onion powder to 1/2 cups plain panko bread crumbs.