PEACH AND JALAPENO BURGERS

Bison pairs fantastically with sweet grilled peaches, gets a touch of tang and saltiness from the feta, and a mild kick from the jalapeño. The best part? Bison meat is very lean, so you cut back on a lot of calories and fat without sacrificing taste!

• 1 lb ground bison

• salt

• ground black pepper

• Olive oil

• 2 ripe peaches, seed removed, and sliced into rounds or wedges

• 1 fresh baguette, sliced into 4 slightly larger than burger-sized pieces and opened

• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled, preferably Bulgarian

• 2 sprigs of fresh basil

• 1 jalapeño, sliced into thin rounds

1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator when cold, and place it in a bowl. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper, then lightly combine, and let sit until it comes close to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes).

2. Preheat the grill or grill pan. When hot, lower to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, shape the meat into four patties (not too thick unless you like it that way). Gently rub a little olive oil on both sides of the patty, and then place on the grill. Cook for about four minutes on each side for medium rare, or maybe a minute or two longer, depending on the thickness of your burger. Or cook until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Let the burger sit for a couple of minutes before you serve it.

3. Meanwhile, add the peaches on the grill after a couple of minutes, and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until soft and tender, with lovely grill marks on it.

4. About a minute or so before the burgers are done, brush the inside of the sliced baguette with olive oil and grill, until lightly toasted.

5. Place a burger on each baguette half; top with the basil, grilled peaches, jalapeño, and feta, and then with the other baguette half.