To some, summer is all about splashing in a local lake, spending time in the garden, or camping. For many, few things spell s-u-m-m-e-r like grilling. Maybe the draw is that cooking over an open flame hearkens back to a time when it was done out of necessity in our primordial days. In the last year, we collectively spent lots of time in our kitchens, so perhaps now it feels extra special to make a meal outdoors when Minnesota’s weather cooperates. Summertime also provides no shortage of holidays to celebrate and gather in community through food. No matter whether you’re cooking with gas or over coals for Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the summer solstice, or just for dinner on a Tuesday night, Seward Co-op has meat and veggie options to get your sizzle on this summer.

Sear up some sausage

There’s something so satisfying about eating a handheld meal, especially when it’s hot from the grill. Practice making those perfect crisscrossing char-marks on a few Gerhard’s Brats. Made by hand locally in Minnesota, Gerhard’s brats use the best locally sourced, organically raised pork. These sausages never have chemicals, fillers, or added nitrates and they are made in small batches. If you’re passing on the pork but still crave the taste of a good brat, try Beyond Meat’s plant-based brats. They do not contain gluten, soy, or GMOs. Don’t forget the buns! Grab brat and burger buns for all of your grilling needs from Baker’s Field Flour & Bread. Located in NE Mpls, their bread and buns are made with sustainably-sourced grains from local farms. All of these options are on sale at both Seward Co-op stores until June 1.

Center the veggies

Smoke from a grill can add a delicious element to any item placed on the hot grates, and vegetables get an extra-dose of delicious from caramelization when grilled. Skewer bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms for a veggie kebab main course. Dice up potatoes (sweet and otherwise) with herbs, peeled garlic cloves, and chopped cauliflower florets drizzled in olive oil to make grillable packets with aluminum foil. Drape asparagus perpendicularly across grill grates alongside lemon halves, then top with Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of the grilled lemon. Visit our produce departments and get creative with your vegetable grilling!