Turkey Burgers and Cucumber Salad

Sometimes, a friend is in your life for just a short time, but they leave a lasting impact.  Your day is brightened a little each day when you see them.  Their day is made when they see you.  You've been in their life for as long as they can remember and you are each others best friend.  You both go on long walks together and confide secrets to each other.  You go on vacation with each other and sit by campfires late at night.  You spend the hot summer weekends outside, digging in the dirt, hanging by the pool and tossing around the frisbee.  And sometimes, your best friend is red and furry.

In the winter of 2001, my parents and I went out on a road trip through Central New York searching for a puppy.  We spent the day playing with little fluffy balls of adorable.  Imagine sitting in a room full of golden retriever puppies, it's crazy cute.  When my mom picked up one particular golden fluff-ball, it cuddled right in.  We took her home and named her Zoe.

Zoe found her place in our home right away.  She stole cookies off of the coffee table.  She sprawled out on the couch and made it all furry.  She looked adorable all day long and we loved her from the minute she got home.  However, for the most part, she was my parents dog.

I was spending most of my time studying organic chemistry in the library and then I headed off to Wisconsin to grad school.  Zoe spent all her time with her mom and dad, she was their buddy, their little shadow.  When I came home to visit, she would be happy to see me, but would quickly lose interest if my parents were doing anything mildly interesting.

Zoe left our lives this Saturday, far too soon.  The house on the hill is a lot emptier now, it's missing its little bit of sunshine.  Zoe was a great dog and she brightened our lives for the ten years that she was with us.  I will miss her very much, but I know two people who will miss her even more.  I'm sending lots of love over to Buffalo, to Zoe's two favorite people, her mom and dad.

Turkey Burgers & Cucumber salad

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Zoe loved to spend her summer evenings outside, resting in the cool shade of the house on the hill.  We would grill out and spend the last minutes of daylight enjoying the cool summer breeze.  As you ate your burger, Zoe would be there, right at your elbow, waiting.  Waiting for something to fall on the floor, or hopefully, for you to feed her something from your plate.  While I wouldn't suggest you feeding your dog cucumber salad, I'm sure they would appreciate a potato chip or two.

4 Turkey Burgers
4 Hamburger buns
1 English Cucumber (or 1 1/2 regular cucumbers), sliced thinly
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 cup low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped, fresh dill
1/3 tsp ground black pepper

Grill turkey burgers and burger buns until delicious.

Stir together yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, dill and pepper.  Add cucumbers and red pepper and toss to coat.  You can serve right away or allow the salad to sit for 4-24 hours to combine.