“Summer was here again. Summer, summer, summer. I loved and hated summers. Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That’s why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Ah, summer! My puffy eyes, runny nose, and itchy skin all tell me that it is late spring in New England and summer is almost here. My seasonal allergies have been particularly aggravating this year, and the pesky bugs have arrived in full force, earlier than expected. As you might have guessed, summer is not my favorite season, not only for the reasons I’ve just mentioned, but also because I have a low tolerance for heat and humidity (i.e., I can get a little cranky). My husband says, (half) jokingly, that I have a ridiculously narrow temperature range in which I am comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold: between 70 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Although he exaggerates (slightly), I will admit that you’ll find me outside more often in fall and winter than in spring and summer, and when the mercury approaches 90 degrees, you will likely find me inside my house with the air-conditioner on full blast, probably wearing a sweater.
Lest you think I am a complete misanthrope, I should tell you that I don’t hate everything about summer, nor do I keep myself and my kids cooped up in the house for three months. Although I don’t love the heat and humidity and allergies and bugs that summer brings, I am in love with the idea of summer, ripe with possibilities and full of anticipation for the (relatively) lazy days ahead: the less frantic mornings that don’t involve waking up sleepy kids and getting them ready for school; the more leisurely weeknight dinners outside on the deck—and the occasional Sunday picnic dinner at the town lake—that linger almost past bedtime, yet are still illuminated by the late-setting sun; the absence of math homework and sports practices and carpool schedules…. With the kids out of school, summertime is prime family time, and, for me at least, family time typically involves certain rituals and traditions that often take their cues from the seasons. Some of my fondest childhood memories are rooted in various traditions that my parents established with my sisters and me, especially summertime traditions, such as our annual beach vacation/road trip. Now that we are the parents, my husband and I have been creating our own set of summer traditions for our kids, some intentional and some that have evolved on their own over the years, many of which take place outside (!), and most of which involve food: Taking the kids every Memorial Day weekend to our favorite ice cream stand for their first ice cream cones of the season. Making weekly trips to the local farm stand to stock up on plenty of fresh, locally grown summer produce. Strawberry picking every Fourth of July weekend, followed by making (and eating) strawberry shortcakes. Going on our annual beach vacation every August, which includes its own set of traditions (read: lobster rolls!). These rituals are what I look forward to come summertime, and it’s really no surprise that they almost always involve food. For me, the food is one of the best parts of summer: the homemade ice cream, the perfectly ripe tomatoes, the freshly picked strawberries…. They make it all worthwhile.
My husband likes to fire up our grill on Memorial Day weekend as his own sort of “Welcome, Summer!” ritual. I have no problem with him taking on the grilling duties, and I don’t mind that we fall into stereotypical gender roles here: him, manning the grill outside on the deck, and me, prepping and chopping and marinating inside the (air-conditioned) house. When we bought our current grill 13 summers ago, we made these portobello mushroom burgers for the first time, and then proceeded to make them every summer since, refining the recipe a little more each time. Now they’re usually the first thing we cook on the grill each summer, and true to tradition, we made these burgers this past Memorial Day weekend, adding some grilled red bell peppers to shake things up a bit. Maybe it’s because of their long summer-grilling history at our house (13 summers!), but these burgers just signal “summer” to me. That first juicy bite, outside on the deck, with music blaring and the smell of grilled vegetables, sunscreen, and citronella in the air…. Yep, summer has officially begun!
One last note: I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s been in the back of my mind since last summer and I think it would be a perfect topping for these burgers: caramelized onions. If you try it, let me know if my suspicions are correct!
Yield: 4 burgers
- -- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill grate
- -- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- -- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- -- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- -- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- -- 1 large red bell pepper, stem, ribs, and seeds removed, then cut into 4 slices of roughly the same size
- -- 4 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed (I sometimes scrape out the dark gills from the undersides of the mushroom caps, more for aesthetic reasons, because they tend to “bleed” onto the buns and their plates, which can “offend” the younger members of our family. You can certainly skip that step if black mushroom juices don’t bother you or the people you are serving.)
- -- 4 ounces of soft goat cheese, sliced or crumbled into approximately 1-ounce servings (You can, of course, substitute other cheeses for the goat cheese. As I mentioned in the head notes, provolone cheese gets a thumbs-up from my husband.)
- -- 4 (whole-wheat) hamburger rolls or other rolls (e.g., ciabatta, sourdough), sliced horizontally
- -- Softened butter or more olive oil, for spreading on rolls before grilling (optional)
- -- Other toppings of your choice (e.g., leafy greens, tomato slices, avocado, mayonnaise and/or other condiments)
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the red pepper slices and mushrooms in a shallow baking dish or container (preferably one with a lid or cover). (Depending on the size of your dish or container, you might need more than one to hold all the pepper slices and mushrooms.) Pour the marinade over the pepper slices and mushrooms; toss gently with your hands to coat the vegetables. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grill grate. Place the red bell pepper slices on the grate, skin side down, and grill until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes. Set the peppers aside until they’re cool enough to handle, then remove and discard the skins and set aside again.
- While the peppers are cooking (or while they are cooling— whichever is more manageable for you), you can start grilling the mushrooms: Place the mushrooms on the grate and grill them until they’re tender and slightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your mushrooms and the heat of your grill. (If I’m using goat cheese, I like to start grilling the mushrooms gills-side down and finish grilling them gills-side up. The goat cheese fits nicely into the underside of the mushroom, which acts as a “bowl” to hold the cheese in place as it melts.) When the mushrooms are almost done cooking (about a minute or two to go on the second side), top each mushroom with goat cheese or your cheese of choice and continue cooking until the cheese melts. Remove the mushrooms from the grill.
- Place your (toasted *) hamburger buns or rolls on plates. Assemble your burgers (mushroom/cheese + red pepper slice) and toppings as desired, and serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Outdoors Series, Picnics and Tailgates, by Diane Rossen Worthington, and Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2008.
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