Felicia's Kasha Burgers

First, news: Mike and I found an apartment! We signed the lease today. It is a two-bed plus office in Jamaica Plain. We will be moving in towards the end of this month. Now, if only I could find a replacement for me in my current living situation. Hopefully that will happen soon.
I have not been updating this as much as I would like, because I have been so busy. I have one grad school application left! Work has been extremely busy. I have been cooking, but I haven't been writing it in here. I'm too lazy to backtrack and write down everything I have made, so I will stick with what has been done recently.
I made Buttermilk Rye Bread from a recipe I got off desertculinary again--twice, actually. Mike and I both love it so much that we eat it way too fast. I eat it for breakfast every morning at work. Delicious.
Last night, Mike and I made Felicia's Kasha Burgers from Vegetarian Planet. Didi Emmon's, the book's author, got this recipe from the chef at Centre Street Cafe in Jamaica Plain, where Mike and I will be living. Yay. These burgers were pretty good. They took longer to cook than she said, and I replaced the white wine with vegetable broth because I didn't have any. I will try making them again with the wine and I will also add garlic, because I think that would give these burgers an extra boost. These are definitely something I would suggest trying if you like homemade-style veggie burgers. They were not too hard to make and it was fun making them in to patties.

Felicia's Kasha Burgers
Felicia Sanchez runs the Centre Street Cafe, an adorable shoebox cafe with a large vegetarian clientele in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Felicia's magical kasha burgers develop a crust on the outside rather like that of a char-grilled hamburger. The preparation takes aobut 30 minutes, and most of that time you're just waiting for the kasha to cook.
I suggest serving these burgers on bulky or kaiser rolls with tomato, lettuce, onion, and ketchup.
3 tablespoons margarine or canola or corn oil, or more, as needed
3 cups chopped onions
3 cups chopped flavorful mushrooms (one or more of the following varieties: portobellos, oyster, shiitake, cremini, hen-of-the-woods)
2/3 cup white wine
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 cup kasha (toasted buckwheat groats)
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour, plus a bit more for forming the burgers

1) In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the margarine or oil. Add the onions, and saute them for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown at the edges. Add the mushrooms to the onions, and add 1 tablespoon margarine or oil. Saute for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently.
2) Add the wine, water, thye, sage, soy sauce, black pepper, and kasha. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. When the kasha is ready, it should have absorbed almost all of the liquid, and the grains should be tender.
3) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or so. Add the 3 tablespoons flour, and mix with a metal spoon or with your hands until the flour is well incorporated. The mixture should be sticky and like a thick porridge in consistency. (At this point, you can cover the mixture and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.) With well-floured hands, form four patties from kasha mixture.
4) In a large non-stick skillet or on a griddle, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon margarine or oil over medium heat. Drop the kasha mixture 1 cup at a time into the skillet or onto the griddle, and pat each patty down with your hand until it is 1 inch thick. (You'll probably be able to cook only three burgers at a time.) Cook the burgers for about 3 minutes per side. They should develop a dark brown crust, but check the underside frequently, as they will be very prone to burning. (If you must cook the burgers in two batches, add a bit of oil or margarine to the pan before cooking the second batch.) Serve the burgers right away.
Note: Felicia likes to use 2 tablespoons margarine instead of oil for sauteing the onions in step 1. She says this gives the burgers a richer flavor.
Makes 6 burgers.
I think these burgers should be made smaller. Mine took a lot longer to develop a crust than was said. Anyhow, they are still tasty.