Farmhouse Veggie Burger

From The Farm Cafe in Portland, a delicious eggplant veg burger as seen on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 4 burgers

Ingredients

• 2  whole eggplants, peeled and 1 inch diced
• 2  scallions, chopped
• 1  tablespoon  minced parsley
• 1  cup  shredded medium cheddar cheese
• 1  cup  breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Sauté eggplant on low heat till grey and very soft.
2. Mix together eggplant and all the rest of the ingredients, except oil, let rest for ½ hour in refrigerator.
3. Form into 4 equal patties about an inch thick.
4. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil until shimmering hot, fry each side of patty till dark brown, about 5 minutes each side.
5. Serve on locally made sandwich bun with caramelized onions, spicy brown mustard, roasted red peppers and salad mix.
6. **Notes: These are the exact directions from the restaurant website, and it's usually best to stick to the recipe on your first try. I have made these without peeling the eggplant and the peels don't hurt anything. I don't know if I always pick unusually big eggplants, but I get six burgers from this recipe instead of the four the restaurant states. I also now use an egg as the binding agent with half the amount of cheese, which I find holds the patties together a little better. They are smashing with a whole, canned poblano on top. Enjoy!