Dancing Sheep Sliders with Boursin Cheese and Blueberry Salsa

Pairs well with:

Merlot

Get cozy and get pouring. Our Merlot is the wine for long weekends and lengthy chats.

I live in an area that has been nicknamed the Emerald Valley. It is beautiful and fertile and full of surprises. The Dancing Sheep Sliders use ingredients from farms, ranches and orchards I can see from the deck of my hillside home. It is a great burger because it’s a little out of the ordinary, it’s easy to assemble and uses ingredients that are locally available.

Ingredients:

Lamb Patties:
2 pounds ground lamb
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Blueberry Sauce:
3 tablespoons blueberry vinegar
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Blueberry Salsa:
1-1/2 cups blueberries, stemmed and washed
1 large Bartlet pear, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely mined
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
To Assemble:
2 packages (5.2-oz. each) Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese
12 butter lettuce leaves
12 dinner roll-size potato rolls, split in half crosswise

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium high.
To assemble patties: Combine ground lamb, oregano, mint , garlic salt and pepper in a large bowl, handling as little as possible. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions; form into small patties about 3-inches wide and 3/8-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
To assemble blueberry sauce: Combine blueberry vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic salt and pepper in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
To assemble blueberry salsa: Coarsely chop 1 cup blueberries ( food processor may be used). Combine chopped blueberries, 1/2 cup whole blueberries, pear, onion, bell pepper, Jalapeno pepper, lime, honey, oregano, garlic salt and cilantro. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Wrap buns in aluminum foil and place on grill to warm while burgers cook. Brush grill rack with vegetable oil or mist with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties on grill, cover, and cook, turning once, until done, about 2 minutes per side. Place a heaping spoonful of Boursin on each patty after turning. Spread a dollop of blueberry sauce on bottom half of each roll and cover each with a lettuce leaf. Top each roll with a cheese-topped patty and an equal portion of blueberry salsa. Add bun tops and serve. Yield: 12 sliders.