Pantry Tales
When I was a kid, the pantry in our kitchen was one of my favorite hide and seek spots. It was a tight squeeze but once I nestled in next to the broom, dustpan and thin wastebasket, I was golden. My nose would graze the calendar my mom hung inside the cabinet door, my feet negotiating space with bagged potatoes, each one with an eye gazing up at me.
The pantry of my childhood had cans of Campbell’s soup, boxes of dried pasta, rice, cereal, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and Keebler cookies. There were cake mixes and cake flour and boxes of Kraft Mac and cheese stacked against the brown paneled wall. It smelled a little like onions and stale bread. It was…memorable.
Today, the only thing hiding in my own pantry is a little grey mouse. True story - it even managed to get himself trapped in the toaster one fine Sunday. We saved him and replaced the toaster. The End.
The pantry can be a wonderful, frenzied collection of all the delicious dry goods that are meaningful to you and your eating practice, perhaps even, your cooking practice! From a well-stocked pantry, treasured meals await. I’m going to share the things I love to keep on my pantry shelves, from tinned fish to tomato puree + one of my favorite pantry recipes.
Photo by Stephanie Sheldon
Savory is the name of my pantry game. If I can reach inside for a few items and make a meal, it’s a win. Here is a list of items, in no particular order, of my pantry staples at North Ridge Farm.
Oils: Olive oil is my most used and I like this for an everyday glug-type. I also like to keep a higher-quality (read: fancy) bottle on hand for drizzling - you might like this or, this. Other oils I always keep stocked is toasted sesame oil, avocado oil + cooking spray, coconut oil, and a small bottle of vegetable oil. Pro tip: I love visiting a fancy little boutique olive oil shop if I am traveling in a new city. Weeks later, when I pull it out of the pantry to use, I am taken back to my travels.
Vinegars: I’ve become a bit vinegar-obsessed in the last few years. Apple cider vinegar always has my heart, however balsamic, sherry, black and rice wine vinegars are always calling. Heck! Make your own, even! I also must have a nice balsamic vinegar glaze on hand because this is to a so-so meal what a band-aid is for a scrape. This glaze is must-have and I challenge you to try it on vanilla ice cream.
Tins: Canned food is nothing short of miraculous. It lasts and lasts and some varieties of canned foods can be opened and eaten straight from the tin! Stacked on my shelf is always canned wild-caught tuna and whole sardines (these particular brands can be reliably sourced from Costco at a much lower price). Do yourself a flavor and keep plenty of tomato paste, diced tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes, and tomato puree also on the shelf. These will take you to parts unknown when you whip up a pomodoro sauce, a soup, or a lovely curry. Buy several at a time when your market has any one brand on sale. Diced green chilis, and chipotle chilis also make the canned food cut when it comes to staples. One other item to keep stockpiled: coconut milk. Add it to soup, smoothies, curries and some baked goods for a rich, vegan, creamy hit.
Jars: Ahhh capers! Olives! Tahini! Jam! My goodness, what can’t you store in a jar? Sun-dried tomatoes, nut butters + roasted red peppers are at the top of my jarred-food list. I also love to have a fresh jar of local honey, chili crisp, and molasses at the ready for baking, finishing a dish or drizzling on salad, fruit, or yogurt. One other jarred item I can’t live without is bouillon. This one is my favorite and can also be found at Costco. I keep roasted chicken, vegetable and beef varieties in the pantry at all times. Pro-tip: Heads up! Most jarred foods require refrigeration once opened.
Legumes: If you know me, you know I take legumes very seriously. Beans are a love language, truly. Not only are they an affordable source of protein and fiber but a cooked, one-pound bag of beans can land in your soup on Sunday, your toast on Monday, and then again in your taco on Tuesday. There are several small, family farms now offering heirloom beans at reasonable prices. Canned beans are also nice to have on hand - cannellini and black beans are great in a can, in a pinch. Lentils are also a teeny, tiny nourishing gift. Team legumes!
Miscellaneous: Rice, pasta, a canister of breadcrumbs, at least one red onion and several bulbs of garlic + cheap white cooking wine are a pantry’s best friend. I also keep extra bottles of ketchup, dijon mustard, olive oil mayo, fish sauce, Tamari and a local variety of hot sauce on standby. These are essential to a pantry feast and will make you feel like a real pro in the kitchen.
My mom gets into my pantry now and again and she asks me often about the new and different items I keep. It’s fun to share them and show her the different ways I use everything, especially when we are cooking together. One of the dishes I make that relies solely on pantry staples is one she especially loves. I’ll share this soon - after all, you need time to make room for mice, ahem, I mean, dry goods.
xo, dena