Salsa Verde Turkey Burgers with Creamy Avocado Sauce and Green Tomatoes

When I first decided to have a food blog, I posted a few of my original recipes, right off the bat, before even sharing my blog with a single soul. Was it folly? Should I have saved the old favorites for the 6000 of you that were visiting Prudence Pennywise last week? In fact, it was a reader that really got me thinking about this to-die-for burger for Labor Day. Kevin, of Closet Cooking, tossed a few on his grill, and took some pictures that look better than the pros. See for yourself.
My burger in Rachael Ray magazine...
My burger on Kevin's blog....

If you're wondering why my burger was in the RR mag, I entered it in the 2007 Rachael Ray Burger Bash contest and surprisingly won, which meant a chance to make it on the RR show, a trip to NY for two, and a burger-cooking stint at the South Beach Food Festival. That's me with perky little Rachael Ray, advertising a blog project that I did for her website over the holidays.So, it's not that you need this kind of testimonial to try this burger, but I think this burger has an interesting, serendipitous history and I'm convinced that it will go over big at your Labor Day bash. A word of caution: They are very very messy to put together, so go a little lighter on the salsa verde. Honestly, the messier the juicier, so keep that in mind.

Money Saving Tips: If you have any unripe green tomatoes on the vines, they'll be perfect here, but red are equally delicious. Use ground chicken in place of the turkey, or even ground beef works well. This is a great way to stretch the avocado flavor, so you'll only need to buy one. Cilantro is my favorite here, but if it's too pricey, leave it out and use lettuce leaves for crunch.

Salsa Verde Turkey Burgers

Estimated Cost: $6.50 for four

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1/2 cup mayonnaise or whole milk yogurt or sour cream

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 pound ground turkey thigh meat

1 egg

1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa verde- start with less and see if you can handle the mixture

4 slices pepper Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)

4 kaiser rolls, split

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

8 slices green tomato, (red tomatoes work well also)

1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and garlic and mash with a fork until well combined but chunky. Season with salt and set aside.2. In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, (egg, if using) and salsa. Divide the mixture to form 4 patties.3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the patties for 4 minutes on one side. Flip and top each with a slice of cheese; cover and cook for 4 minutes more. 4. Spread the avocado aioli on the bottom roll. and cover with 1/4 cup cilantro. Top with a patty and 2 tomato slices; set the roll tops into place.

Coming this Weekend: Black Bean and Brown Rice Southwest Veggie Patties