The It Burger

Quick, before the air turns irreparably brisk and cravings for slow-simmering, meaty roasts set in, you must make this burger.

Image by Romulo Yanes for Epicurious.com

Now that summer has passed, I realize that this was the It Burger–– and my go-to summer dish. I'm normally a sucker for sweet corn, tomatoes, and garden-fresh sugar snap peas. But this year I craved this burger, hot off the grill, more than anything else. It's the Chipotle Pork Cheeseburger, compliments of Gourmet circa June 2009. Sure, chipotle chiles are one of the most over-hyped ingredients of the last five years (and the eponymous burrito chain didn't help matters), but in this recipe you can forget about all of that. Its genius lies in its simplicity: ground pork (so much juicier than ground beef) + 2 teaspoons chipotle chiles and some adobo sauce + 2 pressed garlic cloves + salt. The recipe calls for you to grill the burgers with the cover on for a few minutes, which brings out the inherent smokiness of the chiles. You melt a slice of Muenster cheese on the patty and then top the burger with a generous dollop of mayo, a wedge of avocado and a bright, crisp slice of tomatillo. We made this cheeseburger tonight, almost by instinct, not noticing that some of the leaves are already turning red. It was one last hearty, and oh-so-satisfying, goodbye to summer.

It Starts with the Rebel Tomato

I had a tantalizing fling with the idea of planting a garden last spring. P & I closed on our house on April 30, leaving just enough time to dig up part of the yard and get some veggies growing. But there was packing and moving to be done, then a long weekend trip to Massachusetts, and soon the window of time closed. So, we planted some tomatoes in pots, bought a few basil and mint plants, and vowed to start a garden next year.

The only thing is, I couldn't stop thinking about our garden-to-be. There's a long, ugly stretch of concrete in the backyard--the parking spot for the former owners' speedboat. Every time I look at this:

I imagine something closer to this:

I

Image from LivingtheCountryLife.com

I dream about tearing up the concrete and building brick raised beds, so I can plant a wild assortment of vegetables and herbs. Sure, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce are a must. But I get really excited thinking about celeriac, brussels sprouts, chioggia beets, and... someday, a pumpkin patch.

Our potted tomatoes didn't fare too well, sadly. But we were amused to discover not one, but three renegade tomato plants growing next to the concrete! I have no idea how the little plants came to be, but their growth is an encouraging sign that we have good soil.

Healthy rebel tomato v.s. the sickly potted one.

As the weather gets cooler, I'm going to plan the hell out of next spring's garden. Which will involve reading, consulting my expert gardening friend (thanks Lucy!), and scribbling notes in this adorable perpetual gardening calendar from Krank Press. I love that it tells you not just what to plant, but what seasonal food to eat. Note to Midwest folks, Krank will release a calendar for our region in early October.

For now, I'll just be dreaming about that pumpkin patch.