Gina Ferwerda’s Caprese Burgers with Pistachio Pesto & Blueberry Balsamic Drizzle recipe
Wondering what to do with all of your heirloom tomatoes? Make my Caprese Burger! Gina Ferwerda, recipe developer and cookbook author shares her recipe!
Caprese
Burgers with Pistachio Pesto & Blueberry Balsamic Drizzle
Blueberry Balsamic Drizzle
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup freshly mashed blueberries
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Pistachio Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons pistachio nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Patties
- 2 pounds freshly ground chuck (80/20)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 6 hamburger buns or English muffins, split
- 6 (¼-inch) slices heirloom tomatoes
- 6 (¼-inch) slices fresh mozzarella
- 1½ cups frisee lettuce
MAKE
BALSAMIC DRIZZLE
In a medium
saucepan, add vinegar, blueberries and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat for 10
to 12 minutes, or until mixture reduces by half. Remove from heat and set
aside.
Prepare
the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat.
MAKE
PESTO
Place all
pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until well-blended. Set
aside.
MAKE
PATTIES
Gently
shape ground chuck into 6 patties of equal size and thickness (or 12 small
sliders). With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation
about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty. Cover and refrigerate until
ready to grill.
Grill
patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible,
for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn patties over and grill an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
During the last minute of cooking, place the buns cut-side down on the outer
edges of the grill to toast lightly. Remove buns and patties from grill.
ASSEMBLE
Spread
pesto over all cut sides of buns. On each bun bottom, add equal amounts of
frisee and a patty. Top each patty with a tomato slice, followed by a
mozzarella slice. Drizzle balsamic over mozzarella, then add bun tops.
NOTE
When blueberries aren’t in season, feel free to substitute with strawberries, cherries or any seasonal fruit.
For more from Ferwerda visit her website, Facebook and Instagram.