Crave Wednesday: Sun-Dried Summer

Here in sunny Southern California the weather just can't seem to make up its mind.  This week it's been unseasonably cold.  Last week it was super warm.  So warm in fact, that we met up with the Pirates at the beach.

It was a beautiful day.  A little chilly, but not too cold.  And while Thatboy wore a wetsuit in the water, Thatkid was just as happy in only a swimsuit.  He and Little Pirate played in the waves and went boogie boarding and dug big holes to play in

We picnicked on the beach, and it was so nice to just hang out with friends.

When Thatkid was a baby, we couldn't stop him from eating sand.  Thatbaby has no such attraction.  In fact, he spent most of the time there complaining about sand in his mouth.  Such a delicate little flower.

But you can understand his distress when usually we eat much more delicious things than sand.  And this burger perfectly encompasses the deliciousness of summer.  In general, I'm not a huge fan of sundried tomatoes, they're too oily for me.  But Trader Joes sells them not packed in oil, but just the dried tomatoes themselves.  Like raisins.  And those I like.  I also like using spinach instead of tasteless iceberg lettuce on my burgers.  And tangy goat cheese is a perennial favorite here.  

This weekend, Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer.  We're ringing it in with lots of friends, and very little cooking from me.  But if that's not the case for you, this is the perfect way to ease into summer.  Dust off your grills and get ready for warmer weather.

Sun-Dried Summer (From Cooking Light)

1 lb lean ground sirloin

  8 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup fresh spinach

4 oz goat cheese

4 whole grain hamburger buns

1. Divide sirloin into 4 patties.  Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
2. Place burger on bun and top with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese.