In my mind, seasons are often defined by what you eat. Fall brings to mind apples, pumpkin pies, roasted acorn squash and cranberry relish. When I think of winter, I think of soups and chowders, hot chocolate and s'mores cooked in the fireplace. Spring is defined by fresh produce and fresh herbs. And summer? Well, summer is all about ice cold drinks, grilled foods and cold salads (potato, macaroni, garden, slaw).
As a vegetarian, what I crave the most about grilled foods isn't the meat, but the fixings. Let's take a burger, for example. My latest "burger" fling has been with the Morning Star Farm grillers. I generally either nuke it for 60 seconds of throw it on the grill with it's cow brethren. When it's almost done, I'll add a slice of cheese and cook it until it just begins to melt.
At this point, I proceed exactly as I would were I still a carnivore. First, I grab a great bun, like the onion beauty that you see above. Now, I never thought buns made that much of a difference until the Irishman brought home something other than the whole wheat varieties that I usually pick up. I looked at the curious onion bun and, lacking a better option, I gave it a try. All I can say is Wow. And Yum. It's now my preferred choice for egg and tuna salad sandwiches.
Okay, back to the burger. After you've selected your favorite bun, the rest is all gravy. I like ketchup, mustard and mayo as my condiments and then I add on cold, crisp lettuce, pickle slices and a thin slice of tomato. I love the contrast between the piping hot burger, the cold toppings and the burst of flavor from the bun. It's such a simple thing to make, but it makes me so nostalgic.
As I sit down with my veggie burger on an onion bun (usually while taking a break from splashing in the water with Parker), I feel satisfied that his memories of summer are bound to be filled with as much sun, grilling and laughter as mine were.
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