Turkey Zucchini Burgers + Asparagus Lentil Salad

You guys - I finally found a recipe in Jerusalem that was suitable for a weeknight! Desperate to extend summer produce as far into autumn as possible, I bring to you turkey zucchini burgers.

And yes, I'm trying to make rosé happen this fall, too. I make no apologies.

You start off with the following:

2 medium zucchini
3 scallions, sliced (white, light, and most of dark parts)
1 egg
1 lb ground turkey (I go with 93%/7%)
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon za'atar
1 tsp sweet paprika
shake of cayenne

I mixed all of the ingredients together and, per the cookbook's instructions, made fairly small patties (about 9 or 10 total).

I seared all the patties a few minutes on each side in a cast iron pan and then transferred them all to a large baking dish. Once all the patties were seared, I put them into a 350 degree oven to finish cooking all the way through.

While they baked, I worked on the salad, inspired mainly by this one from Oh She Glows. It contained:

1 cup lentils
1 bunch asparagus, chopped in 3rds after removing the woody ends
one cubed Yukon gold potato (about the size of the palm of my hand)

I cooked the asparagus and potato in oil while I cooked the lentils. I mixed them all together once the potatoes were very softened and dressed the whole thing with a mustardy dressing (juice of ½ lemon, a few shakes of mustard seeds, a hefty squeeze of spicy brown mustard, a little olive oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar; as always, a very exact science).

Since the original lentil salad called for a tahini-based dressing, I had the flavor in my mind and drizzled a little bit over the patties.

These are SO light. The sweet fresh flavor and texture of the zucchini came through very strongly. Plus, the bold green stripes are pretty.

The lightness of the burger worked with the hearty salad. I drastically cut down on the amount of potato from the original recipe and I'm glad I did. The potato was just an ingredient instead of the main focus and the asparagus and lentils were able to shine.

Because I made small patties, there were a lot left over. The next day, I brought three of them to work in a mostly-empty box of arugula. I squeezed half a lemon over the patties and greens and had the perfect leftover lunch.

I highly recommend adding these to your rotation. They're pretty, they're inexpensive, and they're a one-two protein-veggie punch. Delicious!