Last weekend, I hosted one last family BBQ on the Cape before the end of summer. When throwing a party, buying all the food can get expensive especially when you want to buy all the organic and healthy foods!
For my BBQ I bought an assortment of foods to please picky children, meat-eating adults as well as vegetarians at my local Stop & Shop store in Dennis, MA (I go to the location in Somerville, MA when I’m in the city). When feeding a large group it can be tempting to buy the cheapest foods but what I like about Stop &Shop is their variety of offerings at a great price soyou don’t have to sacrifice quality to save money. Their private label Nature’s Promise line delivers high-quality organic and free-from foods at an affordable price.
In addition to Nature’s Promise hot dogs and chicken breasts, I also loaded up on Nature’s Promise organic tortilla chips and salsa for appetizers, cheese for the kids, honey for our dressing, BBQ sauce for the chicken and mushrooms for our veggie skewers. Also, I learned that Stop & Shop partners with over 35 New England family farms through their “Buy Local” program. Fruits and vegetables are picked at your local family farm and are in stores the next day– talk about fresh!
BBQ Tips & Tricks
BBQ Hack #1
I love veggie skewers but instead of using one, I use two skewers to make them easier to turn on the grill. It helps the veggies cook more evenly too.
BBQ Hack #2
To prevent food from sticking to your grill, rub an onion along the grill racks before placing meat and veggies directly on the heat.
BBQ Hack #3
Cook low maintenance corn on the grill but cutting each end and removing a few outer leaves. Place directly on the grill, turn the corn so it’s evenly cooked and you’ve got delicious easy corn!
Grilled Eggplant and Avocado Recipe
We are making a grilled eggplant and avocado salad that is a family obsession. You’ll need a red onion, eggplant, avocado and zucchini plus the ingredients for the dressing that you probably have on hand in your pantry, see recipe below. I was excited at how good and fresh the zucchini looked since it was from a local farm.
Ingredients:
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 1 Large Zucchini
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 ripe Avocado
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 1 TBSP Oregano
- 1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Mustard
- Salt + Pepper to Taste
Chop the eggplant and zucchini as long slices placed directly on grill or cut up into small bite sized pieces placed in a grill basket (like in the video). Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Cut off top and bottom of Red Onion and place directly on grill.
Mix together the olive oil, honey, oregano, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. I like to use 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of honey but feel free to add more honey or olive oil if you prefer. Cube avocado and place into a large bowl. Once the veggies are slightly charred, add to the avocado. Let the red onion cool and then chop into bite size pieces. Add dressing and mix well. Save leftovers in an airtight container but eat within 36 hours as the avocado will turn brown!
Thank you again to Stop & Shop for partnering and collaborating with me on this video. Visit your own local store by using the store finder. If you have a favorite Nature’s Promise product, let me know in the comment section. I’m obsessed with so many and Tommy especially loves the veggie straws.
Don’t forget dessert!
