A Father's Day Grill-out with the EC30 Team
This Father’s Day, we’re thinking outside the box. Nothing says summer quite like a cookout, and if you’re anything like us, you’ll be celebrating dad grill-side with cold beverages and family favorites like hotdogs and hamburgers. But that cookout may have a pretty big foodprint – from charcoal to inexpensive beef to disposable products – each has a pretty substantial impact on the environment. Thankfully, there are a few simple changes you can make to make a difference with your dad’s day feast – whether it’s swapping out some of your meat selections for alternatives, or shopping for local produce.
We wouldn’t be EC30 if we didn’t have sustainability at the forefront of our minds, so we’d like to offer some of our staff’s favorite options for a more grilled gathering with a smaller foodprint.
James, Co-Founder
Our household has a wide variety of diets – “eat anything,” pescatarian, vegetarian.
The push for the environment on our side has been to do a lot more meat-free days and to shop more locally for veggies by using our markets. We’re incredibly lucky, as we have farmer’s markets every Wednesday and Saturday from all the local farms which are just five minutes’ walk from our door. By shopping this way, we can avoid plastic wrapping and take our reusable bags.
On the grill, we are only just hitting that season at the moment but one of my favorites has got to be Halloumi (a semi-hard Greek cheese) and Asparagus!! Also tomato and burrata salad (seen here from a recent weekend picnic). Of course, corn and veggie hot dogs are always a favorite.
Dwylett, Customer Relations
I’m a pescatarian, and my family is flexitarian. We frequently grill seafood and veggies like asparagus. Individual pizzas prepared on the outdoor grill always sparks creativity and friendly competition thanks to farm fresh toppings! Our next food project is to prepare jerk watermelon on the grill. It looks like ham! I saw it on a reality cooking show and I can’t wait to try it!
Credit: Eater NY
Tuscan, Design
It’s not quite sweet corn season in the Midwest, but grilled corn is the absolute best. I got this soy sauce salt that I’m eventually really looking forward to making a sort of asian fusion Elote (Mexican street corn) topped with some homemade kimchi. My local farmers market always has mountains of amazing Ohio sweet corn to buy.
Credit: tastesbetterfromscratch.com
Mikela, Communications
I live in the South, and there’s no vegetable that truly says “southern” like okra. We love to throw it on the grill, either on skewers or in a grill basket. It’s a favorite for everyone, every time we make it! We also have great peaches in Texas and throwing some fresh local peaches on the grill with some balsamic glaze is heaven.
Credit: addapinch.com
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