Summer Squash & Quinoa Burgers

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa under cold water. Once boiling, add the rinsed quinoa to the pot of boiling water and cook, uncovered, 16 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly.

While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise, then crosswise. Grate the squash on the large side of a box grater; place in a bowl and season with salt. Crack the egg into a large bowl; beat until smooth. Pick the oregano leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Halve the buns. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds; place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Peel and finely chop the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and up to half the garlic paste; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil; top with the carrots. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in single, even layer, cut side down. Roast 15 to 16 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Leaving the oven on, remove the roasted carrots from the oven. Carefully top the carrots with the honey (kneading the packet before opening) and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Carefully stir to coat. Roast 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the oven. Set aside in a warm place.

While the carrots roast, transfer the seasoned squash to a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to the bowl of beaten egg. Add the cooked quinoa, matzo meal, oregano, and remaining garlic paste. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, carefully form the mixture into two ½-inch-thick patties. Transfer to a plate to rest for 5 minutes.

While the carrots continue to roast, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the buns, cut side down; toast 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a clean, dry work surface. Spread a layer of the aioli onto the cut sides of the toasted buns. Top the bun bottoms with the cooked patties, seasoned cucumber, and bun tops. Divide the burgers and glazed carrots between 2 dishes. Enjoy!