FARM BURGER
410B W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-378-5077, www.farmburger.net
Q: It would really make my day if Farm Burger would allow you to publish the recipe for the awesome quinoa burger. I recently acquired a taste for quinoa and even more recently discovered Farm Burger's quinoa burger. What a taste delight! And, the choices to build the burger are endless! Many thanks. — Carole Feinberg, Atlanta
A: Farm Burger's chef Terry Koval not only shared the recipe, but he shared the inspiration as well. He was tasked with developing a veggie burger for the restaurant, and he didn't want to go with the black bean burger that you can find in so many places. Jason Mann, Farm Burger's farmer-owner suggested quinoa, so Koval did some research. "I found out that [quinoa] was the mother of all grains. That it was full of protein. It seemed to represent everything that Farm Burger was about — a good source of protein, a strong connection to agriculture and history and full of intention," Koval said.
He worked through many variations of the recipe before hitting on this combination which makes a delicious, moist burger that holds together perfectly and tastes better than you can imagine. At the restaurant, the recipe isn’t static.
“The quinoa burger is just another testament to the seasonality of our menu. In the spring, when garlic chives where coming in, we added those to the recipe. Now that it is summer, we have added some chopped parsley and Vidalia onions. It’s a constant reminder of what is in season, ” he said.
Farm Burger’s Quinoa Burger
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling time
Makes: 5 burgers
Chef Terry Koval says the veggie burger works best with toppings with acid, bitterness and tanginess. At the restaurant, it’s burger No. 2, served on a toasted sesame seed bun with pickled Vidalia onions, arugula, feta cheese and a honey Dijon mayo.
3/4 cup golden quinoa
4 tablespoons black quinoa
3 cups water
1/3 cup diced carrot (about 1 small carrot)
1/3 cup diced celery (about 1/2 rib)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
1/4 yellow onion, diced
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup canned no-sodium garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and pureed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 local farm egg, lightly beaten (or 1 tablespoon silken tofu for a vegan burger)
1 1/2 teaspoons and 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/3 cup chopped parsley
In a small saucepan, bring golden quinoa, black quinoa and water to a boil. Cook for 12 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Set aside and allow to cool. Quinoa will soak up any remaining water.
While quinoa is cooking, spray a large skillet with cooking spray, then saute carrots, celery, green onion and yellow onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, sauteed vegetables, panko, garbanzo bean puree, Parmesan, mustard, egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, cumin, garlic and parsley and stir together until well-blended. Form 5 patties.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute patties slowly until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per side.
Per serving: 436 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 19 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 50 milligrams cholesterol, 580 milligrams sodium.
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