Relish: Goin’ Places

Although countless salsas, relishes and chutneys are sold commercially today, none are quite as good as homemade varieties. And condiments, for the most part, take little time to prepare.

Several days ago, I quickly put together a fresh relish with corn kernels, diced sweet red peppers, chopped red onions and seasonings of lime juice and cilantro. From beginning to end, the dish took less than 30 minutes to assemble and cook. To enhance the flavors, I let the relish marinate an hour before using it.

Once made, I found plenty of uses for this delicious relish. I spooned it over a bed of mixed greens and offered the dish as a salad along with slices of warm French bread for dinner one night. The next day I spread it on sandwiches made with sliced, broiled flank steak.

It could also enhance warm grilled cheese sandwiches, serve as a dip with crisp tortilla chips or make a fine garnish for grilled chicken or pork chops.

The relish is good for entertaining because it can be made completely in advance. In fact, it improves in flavor when put together several hours ahead.

In this recipe I have used the relish as a garnish for grilled turkey burgers, but should you have any of this vegetable mixture left over, I am certain you will find many inventive ways to enjoy it.

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TURKEY BURGERS WITH FRESH CORN AND RED PEPPER RELISH

RELISH

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 cup chopped red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 peppers, seeds and membranes removed)

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt or more (preferably kosher salt)

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add corn and red peppers and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and stir and cook 3 minutes more or until onions are softened. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and transfer mixture to nonreactive serving bowl. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. (Relish can be prepared 4 to 5 hours ahead. Refrigerate, covered, and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before using.) Makes 2 1/2 cups.

BURGERS

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

Nonstick cooking spray

4 hamburger buns

Combine ground turkey, cumin, salt, cayenne and bread crumbs in mixing bowl and mix well. Shape into 4 equal-sized patties and refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or up to 5 hours to firm.

Spray large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. When hot, add burgers and cook all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. When done, place burgers on bottom halves of buns.

Top generously with corn and red pepper relish and cover with remaining buns. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

224 calories; 554 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 0.96 gram fiber.