Tuesday, June 21, 2011

HERE COMES SUMMER! (SUMMER SOLSTICE) ~ JUICY LUCY (Stuffed burger) / GRILLED ONION BLOSSOMS

"Then followed that beautiful season...
Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hubbard Lake Sunsets
_________

JUICY LUCY (STUFFED HAMBURGER)
~ A fun burger ... adapt to suit taste ... all are delicious

1 1/2 lb. choice ground beef
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
heavy sprinkling of dried thyme, dill, chives and favorite seasonings
dashes of Worcestershire Sauce to taste
dashes of Tabasco Sauce to taste

4 slices of American, Swiss (cut slices into 4 pieces) or crumbled blue cheese
4 split hamburger buns (lightly butter or olive oil each half)

  • Gently combine ground beef and seasonings. Form into 8 patties.
  • In 4 of the patties, create a hole and stuff with cheese. Top with remaining patty, pinch edges and tightly seal. (Williams-Sonoma has a fun hamburger press)
  • Grill on high about 3-4 minutes/side. Serve on grilled buns with favorite condiments and toppings. (serves 4)
______________

GRILLED ONION BLOSSOMS

4 medium large sweet Vidalia onions
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
freshly ground pepper to taste

  • Peel onions and cut almost through forming 8 wedges. Place onion on a square of foil.
  • Combine butter, mustard, and Tabasco. Drizzle over each onion. Top with brown sugar.
  • Bring up 2 opposite sides of foil and seal. Fold remaining ends to enclose.
  • Arrange on medium-high grill. Cover and grill for 25 minutes or until onions are nearly tender. Open slightly and grill 10 minutes more or until onions are lightly browned. Sprinkle with pepper.
  • Serve in packet or remove. (4 servings)

28 comments:

cherry said...

Blue cheese for me please!
Happy Summertime Miss Joey sure hope it is magical for you and yours.. It is so hot here that I'm wishing for October already.
hugs from Savannah, Cherry

Karin / Southern Meadows said...

Your sunset photos are gorgeous! I love the one with the wine glass...just screams summer to me! Hope you are enjoying your summer!

The Idiot said...

Whoops, got an error so I don't know if my comment went through. Either way as I went to send it I relaised I'd missed something, so here goes again.

You could stuff the burger with Foie Gras. Obviously you'd want to knock the Tabasco on the head, but maybe use a little port instead.

RURAL said...

Joey, can we be neighbors, and drop by your place for dinner every now and then....so delicious.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Wendy said...

oooh, that onion sounds delicious!

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

Oh, no fair, I haven't had lunch yet. That all sounds scrumptious! Sounds like a fabulous meal to celebrate the solstice with. (I didn't realize WS made a stuffed hamburger press!)

Anonymous said...

It's been a "freshness of childhood" sort of day, hasn't it? The recipes sound deelish!

Rose said...

Happy Summer Solstice, Joey! I hope you are enjoying the day, sitting by the lake with a glass of wine and burgers sizzling on the grill.

joey said...

I hear you, Miss Cherry! Blue cheese and a happy summer are on the list for you :)

Thank you, Karin. The photo my thoughts for all ... let's enjoy!

Hi fun IG! You certainly know how to 'kick life up a notch' :)

Dear Jen, how fun would that be! Do so wish you lived closer. We have so much to share. Happy Summer fun/creative friend :)

Trust me, Wendy. The onion blossom is good!

Thanks Clare. The stuffed burger makes all happy :) The press was a Father's Day gift from grandboys and makes a perfect stuffed burger. I so enjoy your awesome posts. Happy Summer :)

Hi, dear Nancy. May summer hold us all kindly :)

Hi Rose. Tonight we are home (left lake yesterday but returning soon). We dined on these over the weekend and will fill the bill for many guests over the summer. Toast to a beautiful summer :)

Carol said...

Dear Joey,

I am so happy to be able to stroll through the kaleidoscopes of your lovely gardens and see your stunning sunsets! I hope you are having a delicious summer! Carol

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Oooh yummy! It's 10 a.m. here but now you've got me jonesin' for a blue cheese juicy lucy. That sunset photo paired with a delicious glass of wine is so inviting. Hubbard Lake must be a magical place.... :))

EvoOrganic said...

I LOVE the picture of the wine glass. Especially the slight reflection of the trees on the side. Great capture!

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

Hi Joey, I think I may give your grilled onion blossom a try. Gosh they sounds delicious!!

joey said...

Busy and delicious! Thank you, dear Carol.

Hi Kate! Yes, for many reasons and memories, Hubbard Lake is indeed magical. Fun shooting that photo was one of the best!

Welcome and thank you, Evo. A memorable gorgeous evening. I too love the reflection ...

Enjoy Jennifer! So easy and good.

Anonymous said...

Oh Joey! Your Hubbard lake sunset photos are a treat to the senses! Love the wine glass shot! Happy summer to you too!! I'd love to try out the Grilled Onion Blossoms.

Thanks for stopping by and watching the video...SO glad you did!

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

Oh Joey, I so enjoyed catching up on your blog! Thanks for leaving a comment today on mine! Your recipes sound divine and your photo of the sunset and wine is perfection! Why have I never thought of that? Probably because I'm too busy drinking it:)! Have a great summer!!!

garden girl said...

Both of these sound really good Joey! We love grilled veggies, and have been on a Vidalia kick lately. I love the idea of stuffed burgers - never tried that before. Maybe this weekend. It's perfect grilling weather.

joey said...

Kanak, you are a dear and thank you. Always fun catchin' up.

Fun to do both, Sall. A memorable evening doing it all :)

Enjoy, Linda. I think you will enjoy both. Summer ((hugs)).

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, another beautiful summer sunset at Hubbard Lake!

lindalou said...

Love your sunsets on Hubbard Lake. I can actually feel the moment.

That onion blossom sounds great.

One more week to our vacation in Tawas. I won't have any great sunsets, but maybe I can get a good sunrise looking over a glass of orange juice.

Let's hope for some great weather.

Rick said...

What a beautiful and creative shot of the sun in the wine glass ! Oh, and the sunset's not too shabby either !

Have a great week joey.

imac said...

Very neat shots my friend.

Kala said...

Happy Summer Joey!

What delicious sounding recipes and beautiful images. Glad I dropped by to visit!

Jan said...

Beautiful sunset Joey...and fabulous ideas for burgers and onions. All sound yummy...would be nice for next weekend, the 4th, too! (I voted for another of your awesome sunset photos on the Michigan FB page)

Oxford said...

I have been reading your food blog and have really enjoyed it. As a fellow foodie, I have a blog about my quest for the ultimate hamburger, I wanted to share this link and project that I have been following as I think they have an very interesting idea for a short film that will appeal to foodies.

A team of documentary short film makers is making a film about the regional foods which are disappearing from our grocery store shelves. Once, the grocery store reflected the foods and culinary heritage of each region of our country. There was a time that Coors beer was not sold east of the Mississippi River, and Moon Pies only existed in the South. Small regional food companies are being bumped from the store shelves, and we are losing these food traditions.

These are those foods that maybe your grandparents had in their pantry and you refused to eat. Things (and these are real) like mudfish in a jar, sauerkraut juice, and canned snake. They are looking for input on regional foods in your area, like those strange food items on the top shelf that you have no idea how they are used or what to cook with them.

The film will include calling the makers of these unique foods and learning the history and reason behind why mudfish is available in a jar. Then they will have a big food tasting offering volunteers the chance to taste these items and give their feedback.
I hope you can suggest possible regional foods or ask your readers. You can learn more about the project on their website http://www.indiegogo.com/10MinuteFilms

joey said...

Thanks Robin. Arrived again at the lake last night and both nights have been amazing! Love it! Happy July :)

Enjoy your vacation, Lindalou. You will have awesome sunrises with your orange juice! Again back here at the lake after a week at home, I'm holding on to this stellar weather for you :)

Thanks imac. Happy July behind the lens:)

Yes, happy summer Kala! Thank you and enjoy :)

Thanks sweet Jan. Enjoy and thanks for voting. I won!

sweetbay said...

Love the shot of the wine glass. That is fantastic.

joey said...

Thanks sweetbay ... it's on of my favorites :)