Perfect your sliders with these delicious additions

Every summer, we look forward to that first burger, the cheese and onions melting into the patty, the soft bun toasted on the grill, the crunch of the pickle offset by the richness of the mayonnaise or the sweetness of the ketchup.

It’s a rite of summer that can be elevated slightly for a special holiday like the Fourth of July by providing your guests with big flavors in the form of small mushroom and beef sliders, plus a wide array of tasty toppings.

At Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, Chef Anne Cornell has perfected the art of the Slider Party, sourcing grass-fed beef and mushrooms from the farm market, along with artisan cheeses and an array of fresh vegetables for toppings.

“It’s so much fun, and it’s something that everybody can enjoy,” Cornell said of the class, which will be given monthly from July through October. “We cook the burgers, and then we put all the toppings on a buffet, and everyone can go through and build their own sliders.”

When sourcing for your slider buffet, it’s important to choose small tomatoes and mushrooms, or plan on cutting them into small pieces. Lettuce leaves can be shredded, and you can cut the portabello mushrooms down to size.

“The portabellos start at four inches, but they do cook down,” Cornell said. “You could also do three shiitakes, because they are slightly smaller, and stack those.”

When working with any kind it beef, it’s important not to overwork it when you mix in the salt and pepper, which is a good idea if you have a large batch of meat.

“Any time you work with ground beef, it can get really tough if you over-massage it,” she said. “Use a light touch.”

Grass-fed beef, which can now be found at most grocery stores and even Trader Joe’s, has a lot less fat in it than regular ground beef, so you can make the patties a little bit thicker.

When forming the parties, make them a bit larger than the bun, because they shrink down as they cook. And don’t forget to put an indentation in the center with your finger, to counteract the tendency of the burger to puff up.

As far as the cheese goes, it’s nice to offer guests a couple of choices. Cornell is partial to the Valley Ford Cheese Company’s Highway 1, a rustic, Fontina-style cheese that is great for melting.

“It’s a real people-pleaser,” she said. “It’s a little nutty, and melts in your mouth.”

Valley Ford also makes a new Gorgonzola-style cheese, called Bellazola, for people partial to the ever-popular blue-cheese burger.

The cheese should not be sliced too thick, but should melt into and over the sides of the burger.

“Put the cheese on as soon as you flip the sliders,” she said. “And cover the grill so that it melts into the burger.”

To complement the salty blue cheese, Cornell likes to smear on a savory jam she makes from rosemary, onions and the figs that are now coming into season.

For toppings, try roasting or grilling the fresh spring onions until they melt and turn into caramelized sweetness.

“The red ones are especially good,” she said. “Just roast them with olive oil, salt and pepper.”

With the new crop of cucumbers, simply bring some vinegar to a boil and pour it over the sliced cukes, making a quick refrigerator pickle that is fresh and crunchy. You could also make a batch of pickled spring onions, and blend them together with the pickles for a homemade relish.

As for lettuce, Cornell looks for the Little Gems, which have crispy little leaves, and keeps an eye out for smaller tomatoes.

“We like the Early Girl tomatoes, but any small tomato will do,” she said. “Look for the right size that will fit the burger and the buns.”

Of course, bacon makes everything taste better. Cornell can’t wait to try the new Honey-Lavender Cured Bacon from the Sonoma Meat Company, which she thinks will make the perfect foil for blue cheese.

Relish sources its slider buns from Costeaux Bakery in Healdsburg, but most good grocery stores also carry slider buns, Cornell said. Simply dry-toast them on the grill and you’re good to go.

All burgers taste especially good with a dollop of classic aoli, but some folks may prefer simple ketchup or an heirloom tomato jam, which adds a sweet and sour element.

Everyone has their own technique for building a burger. Cornell likes to slather both buns with a classic aioli, then add the flat toppings - lettuce, tomato and bacon - to the bottom of the burger, so the weight of the burger presses into them.

She adds the pickles and onions above, pressing the onions into the melted cheese so they meld together.

For side dishes, it’s best to keep it simple and go for a potato dish, either a potato salad or some potatoes oven-roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

“At that point, you’re going to be full,” she said. “For dessert, we like to do a crisp or some simple, grilled peaches flavored with cream or mascarpone or fresh ricotta.”

Relish Culinary Adventures will offer slider classes at 10 a.m. July 18, Aug. 22, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17.

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This recipe is from Relish Culinary Adventures. Feel free to add other flavors to the aioli once it’s finished, such as a squeeze of lemon and/or lemon zest, a bit of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of preserved lemon, chopped herbs, some harissa paste, a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce.

Classic Aioli

Makes about 2 cups

2 egg yolks

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1¼ cup mild olive oil

- Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place yolks in a food processor with garlic and vinegar. Process for one minute. Very slowly drizzle in the oil (using the chute) until aioli is thick, light yellow and full of air. Season with salt and pepper.

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This recipe is from Alison Ashton for Nourish Network. Use thin-skinned Japanese, Persian English or pickling cucumbers, and slice them as thinly as possible.

If you have a mandolin, this is a good time to use it; otherwise, just use a sharp chef’s knife.

Spicy-Sweet Pickled Cucumbers

Yields 1 quart

2 cups ice wine vinegar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup fresh lime juice (2-3 medium limes)

4 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

1 pound Japanese, Persian, English or pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick or thinner)

½ cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Combine cucumbers, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add vinegar mixture and stir to combine.

Let stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving, or transfer cucumber mixture to a clean jar and refrigerate up to 5 days.

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This recipe was adapted from Chef Mark Stark of Willi’s Wine Bar, Monti’s Rotisserie and Stark’s Steakhouse in Santa Rosa, Willi’s Seafood and Bravas in Healdsburg.

Pickled Onions

Makes about 1 cup

1 small red onion

1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

¼ cup hisbiscus simple syrup (see note below) or grenadine

Peel and julienne the onion to ?-inch thick. Place in a glass bowl and cover with the vinegar and simple syrup/grenadine. Weigh down with a small plate to submerge. Let pickle overnight to develop flavor and color. Will keep for at least a week.

Note: To make the simple syrup, place 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in small pan. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar.

When hot but not boiling, add ½ cup of dried hibiscus (Mexican jamaica flower) petals. Let steep for 30 minutes and strain petals. Refrigerate until use.

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This recipe is from Chef Tracey Shepos Cenami.

The jam is wonderful with braised and crisped pork belly on a bun, or with a blue cheese burger made with Valley Ford Cheese Company’s new Bellazola, or Point Reyes Bay Blue.

Spiced Fig Jam

Makes 1 pint

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups red onion, diced

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

1 cup fresh or dried figs, cut into wedges

1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until soft and glossy, roughly 8 minutes.

Add the sugar and honey and cook until dissolved.

Add balsamic vinegar and spices and continue to cook until the vinegar is reduced and the onions well cooked, but not soupy.

Add the figs and cook another 5 minutes. Sometimes using dry figs requires a bit more liquid; if so, add water a tablespoon at a time to keep the mixture the consistency of jam.

Season with salt and let cool. Transfer to an airtight container; stores in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.