Vegan Burgers for Labor Day

Your Labor Day is about to get a delicious, nutty twist...

Have someone in your life who isn't crazy about meat, but you'd still like to grill them up something good this Monday?

Let us introduce you to Grand Rapids-based Nutcase Vegan Meats. We are absolutely loving their product here at Bridge Street Market (yes, even our carnivore colleagues dig Nutcase!).

Nutcase Vegan Meats are easy to grill up quick and are a seriously flavorful alternative to your traditional burger.

Prep for Grill:

Be sure to oil the grill grate or foil you're cooking on in order to prevent sticking. Heat or fire up the grill. Brush a little oil on the side of the burger you'll be grilling first. Place the meat on the grill for 2 to 2.5 minutes. Brush a little oil on the side you're about to flip over. Then, flip that burger over to cook that side for 2 minutes. Flip again to cook for another 2 minutes. Then, to even it out, flip one more time for 2 more minutes!

Put that burger on some Arnie's Buns and dress it up with your favorite toppings. We love cheese (disclaimer: cheese makes it not vegan anymore...), fresh tomato slices, gorgeous butter lettuce, pickles, onion, mustard, ketchup... just layer on those toppings. We'll eat it... and your vegetarian friends will too!

Bridge Street Bourbon Old Fashioned Recipe

Ingredients
2 oz. Long Road Distillery's Single Barrel Bridge Street Bourbon
3  dashes Peychaud's Barrelaged Bitters
1  Sugar Cube
Club Soda
1  old fashioned glass

Directions
1. Place the sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar) in an Old Fashioned glass.
2. Wet it down with 2 or 3 dashes of bitters and a short splash of club soda.
3. Crush the sugar with a wooden muddler, chopstick, strong spoon, lipstick, cartridge case, whatever.
4. Rotate the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters give it a lining.
5. Add ice cubes.
6. Pour in the bourbon
7. Garnish with an orange peel.

Pregnant women, people under the age of 21 or people with health conditions or medications that interact with alcohol should not drink alcohol.

Now in Season: Michigan Apples

Delicious, farm-fresh apples grown right in our backyard are ripe and ready for you to enjoy!

Apple season is a big deal here in Michigan, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise! Michigan is the nation’s third largest producer of apples – with 11.3 million apple trees in commercial production on over 35,000 acres grown by 825 family owned farms. We proudly sell a variety of Michigan Apples here at Bridge Street Market. We love supporting family businesses and lucky for all of us, we’re in prime apple season! We’ll be sharing lots of fun recipes and facts about the apple industry right here on our website and across our social media platforms! 

Certified Angus Beef® Brand: Angus Beef at its Best!

Angus is everywhere these days. Over the last couple of decades it’s even become a bit of a buzzword. It's true. Angus beef is good. But the Certified Angus Beef ® brand? It’s on an entirely different level. It defines the standard by which all beef is measured. No shortcuts and with a virtual obsession with flavor and juiciness.

Field & Fire

Grand Rapids, MI

“Our mission at field & fire is to apply our craft of baking in a way that will produce breads characterized by an amazing depth of flavor, remarkable aroma, crispy caramelized crusts, and above all will be nourishing and healthful for the folks who eat them.

All of our bodies are sustained on food, so it seems necessary to focus some effort on what we are eating, where it came from, who made it, what was the process, etc. We think about these things every moment of every day, because we strongly believe that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well, properly, and carefully." – Owner, Shelby Kibler

Learn more at fieldandfire.com

River Ridge Farms

Sparta, MI

More than 25 years ago, Riveridge was founded by three partners who shared a background in Michigan produce and the grocery industry – and a vision for a different way of doing business. A vision for growing and marketing quality fruit, sought-after varieties, tracked from the blossom to the store shelf.

Today’s Riveridge is led by original founder Don Armock who has continued to build on that original vision. Riveridge is a family business in many ways. While Armock family members head up sales and supply chain, the entire business is made up of long-standing employees, many of which are related as well. Husbands and spouses, brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, creating a true family dynamic. 

Learn more at riveridgeproduce.com

Sprinkles Donuts

Hudsonville, MI

Sprinkles Donut Shop is not only a family owned bakery but also the product of a man who dedicated his life career to making the best quality donuts possible. Gary Vanderstelt has been baking and has owned his own bakeries for over 50 years. He is the inspiration behind Sprinkles Donut Shop and continues to follow his passion each day.

Sprinkles offers a wide selection of cake and yeast donuts, cupcakes, muffins and specialty items. They make an effort to support other local businesses and source the majority of our ingredients and purchase most of our manufactured items locally. 

Learn more at sprinklesdonutshop.com

Nutcase Vegan Meats

Grand Rapids, MI

Nutcase Vegan Meats were dedicated locavores; after owners Andrew and Monica's daughter announced she was a vegetarian, Andrew started to devote his culinary talents to vegetarian, dairy-free cooking. They soon began looking at prepared protein sources, and wanted a whole foods & nutrient dense product. They put their heads together to create a flavorful "meat" while avoiding pro-inflammatory foods. Their products include Nutty Burger, Chorizo, Hot Italian Sausage, and Breakfast Sausage patties. All products are dairy-free, corn-free, gluten-free and soy-free. Nutcase Vegan Meats are committed to creating the highest quality organic, non-GMO products. 

Learn more at nutcasevegan.com

Great Pairings: Jen's Raspberry Poppy Dressing + Grilled Chicken Sandwich

We have two truths to share with you:  

1. Summer isn’t over yet.  

2. Dressings aren’t just for salads.  

Want to take your chicken sandwich or wrap to the next level? Pair it with a great local dressing like Jen’s Gourmet Dressings. They have an out-of-this-world Raspberry Poppy Dressing that has just the right mix of fresh raspberry notes with a nice, tangy tone that will really get you thinking about all the things you should have been using dressing for. We love to top our chicken sandwiches with sautéed mushrooms and onion, and finish it off with a nice, raw crunch like a chopped red bell pepper to create an even more well-rounded flavor profile. For your next gathering: You could even make mini versions of this for sliders or tiny wraps held together by toothpicks. Everyone will want to know what the secret is. It’s the dressing. 

Smokehouse BBQ Chicken Breasts

When the weeks are long and time is short, food sometimes takes the back burner. We know – it's the one piece of the busy life puzzle that doesn’t always make it into the picture. Luckily, we’re here for you with Fresh & Fast options like this Smokehouse BBQ Chicken. We are absolutely loving this delicious pre-marinated and seasoned, ready-to-cook meal. The flavor profile is amazing and you can have a home-cooked meal before soccer practice. You’ll thank us.

Korean Style Pork with Kimchi Slaw

A quick and colorful meal that is packed with nutrients and flavor

Ingredients for Korean Style Pork:
4 Pork Chops/Cutlets
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free option)
2 tbsp honey
½ tbsp turmeric
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
black pepper to taste
arugula for garnish

Ingredients for Kimchi Slaw:
1 cup of Root for Ginger, kimchi
1 cup of red cabbage, chopped

Directions:
1. Whisk olive oil, soy sauce, honey, turmeric, garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper together
2. Marinade pork for at least 20 minutes
3. Bake pork at 350 °F for about 7-10 minutes, until the porks internal temperature is at 145 °F
4. While waiting for the pork to cook, mix together the chopped cabbage and kimchi to create a slaw
5. Serve pork on a bed of rice with the kimchi slaw on top
6. Garnish with baby arugula

Stir It Up Bakery

Grand Rapids, MI

Stir It Up provides meaningful employment to individuals with special needs through the operation of a premium bakery. Stir It Up is designed to provide a safe atmosphere where individuals can obtain skills, increase their confidence, and gain a sense of accountability and pride. Their goal is to provide a work environment where they can showcase their abilities, skills, and talents.

Stir It Up's values are reflected in everything they do and can be represented in the following words:

ADVOCACY:
We see opportunity to improve lives of adults with special needs by providing them a valuable work experience. Our company is built on the concept of advocacy – to ‘Stir Up’ challenges, preconceived notions, and stereotypes towards individuals with special needs.

EMPOWERMENT:
We see abilities in every individual. We provide resources, opportunities, training, and employment in order to empower individuals with special needs so they can reach their full potential.

INCLUSION:
We see the beauty in every individual. Every person is worthy of respect and fair treatment. We believe everyone is entitled to acceptance, a sense of belonging, and an opportunity to develop skills so that they can become a contributing member of the community.

Learn more at stiritupbakery.com