People, I love nature more than the average bear, but I just had to go outside and have words with a crow. The MOST annoying, caw-happy crow I've ever shared space with. Fortunately, he didn't seem to like me yelling at him so has left our yard which has left me with a profound sense of gratitude. It's the little things. I have a mahvelous new burger recipe for you; those of you who, like me, don't eat or enjoy beef burgers (I just don't; I'm not even sorry; It's just a fact of my life.) will be happy to find that the protein is chicken and that these are moist and tender as get out. I don't enjoy the word 'moist' either but it fits the bill here, and no one wants dry food, so yay.

This burger was inspired by a southwestern turkey burger recipe I love which includes crumbled blue corn chips and chili peppers and the Aleppo pepper-yogurt chicken kebab recipe I discovered and made and loved last month. To start, I minced some preserved lemon, diced some onion and tossed those with minced garlic, olive oil and salt. I let that mull together for about ten minutes while I made a mint-Aleppo yogurt sauce, heated the grill and got my ground chicken ready. When the lemony onion mix had softened, I mixed into it the chicken and yogurt sauce, shaped the mound into individual patties and grilled.

The mixture will seem loose because of the yogurt. However, if your grill is nice and hot, you won't lose a bit and what results is a wildly tender, not a dry bit in sight, burger. If you like a slightly denser patty because you find it easier to handle or because you want things to firm up a bit more, add a couple tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs. Both versions are delicious. I know this because I made and tried both!

I slicked my bun with leftover arugula-mint mayo from yesterday (made that for the lima bean hummus burgers!), arugula, tomato and a scant bit of good mustard. The lemon is pronounced, the Aleppo gives a faint kick at the end and the final package is downright happy-making, especially if you pour a glass of sweet tea to wash everything down. #summer