NECTARINE CRANBERRY ONION RELISH BURGER

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Fusion cooking inspired me — East meets West, Summer meets Fall, backyard burger meets Nouvelle cuisine.

Bringing together the best of contrasting worlds, tastes and flavors seemed like the perfect platform for a new, “to-die-for” burger.

Ingredients:

Nectarine Cranberry Onion Relish

1 cup sweet red onion, diced

2 tablespoons Colavita balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups fresh nectarines, cut into 1- inch chunks

1/3 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce, mashed

Patties

2 pounds freshly ground chuck (80/20)

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (preferably East-West Sweet Ginger Teriyaki Sauce)

1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese)

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1/4 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce, mashed

¼ cup Sutter Home Zinfandel

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on grill rack

6 good-quality potato hamburger buns, split

6 red-leaf lettuce leaves

Instructions:

1. Preheat gas grill to medium-high.

2. To make Nectarine Cranberry Onion Relish, combine sweet red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and black pepper in a fire-proof saucepan and place on a gas grill over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 8-9 minutes, stirring often. Add nectarines and cranberry sauce and cook 2-3 more minutes, or until nectarines are heated through, then remove from heat, cover with foil, and keep warm.

3. To make Patties, combine the chuck, fresh oregano, fresh basil, teriyaki sauce, Panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, toasted pine nuts, grated ginger, cranberry sauce, and Sutter Home Zinfandel in a large bowl, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 equal oval patties to fit the buns. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. .

4. Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the buns, cut side down, on the edges of the rack to toast lightly.

5. To assemble the burgers, place a leaf of red lettuce on each bun bottom. Top with cooked patty, an equal portion of nectarine cranberry onion relish, and other half of bun. Serve immediately.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS.