A burger is a sandwich. There I said it. Who would tolerate biting into a ham and cheese to have the ham and the cheese—or an ice cream scoop of tuna salad for that matter—fall out the other side?
Not me. Because when that happens, I’m forced to peel away the too thick bread and use a fork to eat what is now a ground beef salad.
We all know fresh ingredients are required. Their ally, execution, which makes something balanced and easy to eat, often falls by the wayside to bow down to towering aesthetics.
Spoonfed’s burger is a true sandwich; like a story, it has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the middle stabilizes the whole narrative.
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue.
Shredded Zucchini Salad
This fast summer recipe will dispatch all the squash at the farmer market.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, shredded
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
- Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper optional
Instructions
- Using a box grater, grate the unpeeled zucchini. Put the zucchini in a clean dish towel, squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave off enough to top the salad
- In a medium bowl add zucchini, olive oil, lemon juice, nuts and salt. Toss until coated.
- Plate the salad and top with shaved parmesan.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Quick Spoonfed’s Roasted Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- Olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small pot, place the cloves of garlic and cover halfway with oil. Use more if you want to save some of the flavored oil. On medium heat, bring to a simmer, turn to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Check it periodically and give it a swirl to make sure it doesn’t burn, a little browning is good. The garlic is done when it’s easily pierced with a knife.
- In a small bowl mash the garlic then add mayo, vinegar, hot sauce and parsley. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper. As always, it’s always more salt than you think and less pepper than you think.
