An Award Winner Celebrates Spring with This Burger

There are few American dishes more iconic than the hamburger, a humble food that "takes kindly to being elevated to a more exalted plane of eating," as our namesake (and burger buff) James Beard attests in Beard on Food. In fact, it's precisely the patty's blank canvas potential that makes it the perfect vehicle for the Blended Burger Project™, our competition challenging chefs to blend mushrooms with meat to create a more delicious, nutritious, and sustainable burger. 

JBF Award winner Stephanie Izard showcases the burger's seasonal versatility with this recipe stuffed with spring standbys. Though some hamburger hardliners might balk at any toppings beyond the classic ketchup, mustard, or cheese, the 2018 Blended Burger Project™ official spokesperson tops her beef–shiitake patty with a tart and sweet rhubarb mustard, an earthy brown butter–miso aïoli, and a verdant asparagus tapenade, for a bite that'll have you stopping by the farmers' market before your next grill-out. Get the recipe to make your own Blended Burger at home.

Learn more about the Blended Burger Project™.

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Maggie Borden is associate editor at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.