The long (and I mean really long) awaited Dill Pickle Co-op (3039 W Fullerton Ave) soft opened last weekend, and though its blog reports some kinks, it looks as if Logan Square has an appetite for the crunchy custom of co-op consumption. In anticipation of Dill’s Saturday 12 grand opening (festivities begin at the Logan Square Library at 11:30am, and there’s a Pickle Parade at 1pm on Fullerton Avenue), we asked owner the co-op’s architect (and member) Matt Nardella what five items he’s most excited about (finally) offering to the masses. Here are Nardella’s five, in his own words.

1.  Any native Midwesterner, myself included, has a genetic predisposition toward beef consumption. However, the growing, feeding and slaughtering of cows has an extremely adverse effect on our environment. Before you become a vegetarian, consider sampling Dill Pickle’s grass-fed-and-finished beef from Heartland Beef of Mendota, Illinois. Since these cattle consume grass instead of corn (they are ruminants, after all), the animals do not need to be pumped with any nasty hormones or antibiotics.

2.  It isn’t the most attractive member of the produce section, but the inside of a butternut squash from Genesis Growers, St. Anne, Illinois, is a taste explosion. I like to make this Afghan kadu bouranee (squash and lamb) dish. Sauteed squash with garlic, tomatoes, ginger, pepper, and grilled lamb finished with a cucumber yogurt…scrumptious!

3.  Dill Pickle’s bulk bins. If you’re like me, you might have three tubs of oatmeal with only a tablespoon of oats in each. To save pantry space and packaging, I love to gather my favorites from any of the 84 bulk bins.

4.  Heirloom Italian beets, Green Acres Farms, Collinsville, Illinois.  My lovely wife, Laura, makes awesome borscht.

5.  Dairy cows also need to eat grass. Not only does it make for happier animals, but you reap the benefits of their diet, since you are only as healthy as what you eat eats. This is why I like Dill Pickle’s pasture-raised cow milk from Castle Rock Dairy in Osseo, Wisconsin, which was given a 5 out of 5 cows rating from the Cornucopia Institute.