Gourmet Burgers for Dad’s Day!
A burger is a burger is a burger, right? Well, we all know that’s not true. And we’re not talking fast food burgers – but the kind made with love in your cool Crystal Valley kitchen with all the extras that make food extra-ordinary. There are at least a dozen ways to jazz up a hamburger patty before you grill it, and the recipes we collected are sure to make your next burger buffet exponentially delicious.
The Food Network says to opt for ground chuck if you can – and as you form your 6-or-so ounce patties, make an indentation in each. Did you know that helps your burger to cook through? Not many Dads like their burgers raw, so here’s a handy list of what the internal temperature of your burger should be for the desired doneness
For 19 fancy burgers, look no further than Savory Experiments. Blogger Jessica who alternates between craving burgers for every meal, and not wanting to see a burger grace her plate for weeks, starts things off with the Garlic Truffle Burger. Using Black Truffle Pate – which is the kind of truffle most of us can afford (instead of the $1,000-a-pound variety) Jessica makes an aioli sauce AKA truffle mayo. The rest of the recipe is an easy mushroom-and-swiss burger between brioche rolls, but the truffle aioli is the big difference. Truffles (not the chocolate kind) are prized delicacies with a strong garlicky, pungent, earthy aroma and taste, and Jessica says with the truffle pate, it’s not only more affordable, but a little goes a long way!
Her best burger recipe, though, might be the Cowboy Burger. Why, you ask? Because the two all-beef patties are topped with cheddar, blue cheese, onion strings, BBQ sauce, bacon AND honey habanero pickles. And if you like the sound of that, no doubt you’ll like Go Go Go Gourmet’s Spicy and Smoky Candied Bacon Burger. Before you start thinking “oh, just add bacon to the burger, who hasn’t done that”? Let us explain that the thick-cut bacon is cooked on the grill in aluminum foil and sprinkled with brown sugar. That’s how you get from ordinary to extraordinary – by candying the bacon!
The unique burger recipes from Food & Wine put a twist on the classic grilled burger, especially with this one – Asian Style Pork Burgers. The F&W chefs add scallions, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame oil to the ground pork, for a juicy Asian-flavored burger. Or try the Stilton Sirloin Burgers with Onion Jam – mini cheeseburgers topped with Stilton cheese and served with delectable sweet potato fries.
And finally, these Grown Up Burgers from Bake at Midnite, appeal to an adult palate, problably more so than kids’ (throw a couple of dogs on the barbie for the littles!). With a combination of fresh marjoram, Dijon mustard, sun-dried tomato paste, an egg yolk and fresh white breadcrumbs – served on brioche buns – it’s a taste sensation you’ve likely never experienced!.
Warm Salads and Sides
Potato salad is a summer staple, but you probably haven’t had this concoction from Naturally Ella of Warm Potato Salad tossed with handfuls of arugula, rosemary and walnuts. And this potato salad is anything but traditional, with mustard oil, smoky bacon and barbecue sauce.
Still on the hot potato tip, these grill-baked potatoes are sliced nearly through and packed with chive butter and sour cream then wrapped in foil. Grill them on low heat for about 45 minutes or until tender and indulge in the buttery, baked-in yumminess. 
When you skillet-char cherry tomatoes, the fire brings out the sweetness of the tastes-like-fruit vegetable. Chef Chris Cosentino likes charring his in a smokin’-hot cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil so the tomato skin blackens, just a tiny bit. The extras to add in are sweet basil, salt, pepper and if you can find them at the Farmer’s Market – squash blossoms!
Cold Summer Sides
The wildly popular Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, Al Di La, serves this colorful salad of green and yellow beans and waxy potatoes in a deliciously tangy dressing; a mix of anchovies, poached garlic and olive oil.
Lemon Chickpea Salad from Food & Wine is another fresh-tasting salad with chopped pepperoncini, diced red onion, quartered yellow onion, carrots, celery, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic and rosemary plus thyme. You can make this one the Saturday before Father’s Day and store overnight in the fridge to stay slightly ahead of the meal prep.
Named Best New Chef a few years back, Giuseppe Tentori’s quinoa salad is a tasty blend of cucumber, thin green beans, parsley and feta. What makes Tentori’s recipe extra special is pickling the radishes in red wine vinegar and sugar before tossing them into the salad for a puckery crunch.
The Dads of Crystal Valley
The Dads who head families in the brand new homes that make up the master-planned community of Crystal Valley are hard working and hard playing. Join the folks who love where they live and at a time when interest rates are down and home values sure to go up. The fast-growing Castle Rock community features homes from Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities or D.R. Horton. With four builders’ designs to choose from, you can virtually visit these homes set in natural surroundings, or set up a private tour. Choose from ranch or two-story models — priced from the $300s.
