How do I stock my pantry?

Maybe you just moved into a new house and you want to start off on the right foot. Or, maybe you want to start cooking for your family and don’t know where to begin. I asked myself, if suddenly my kitchen was wiped out and I needed to restock it, what would I absolutely need? This is what I came up with.

Seasoning is life.

Salt enhances flavor, keeps meat moist, acts as a preservative and so much more. Real, unrefined, natural salt is good for us! I buy Redmond’s Real Salt They don’t know I exist, but I shout their praises anyways. They mine their salt from a pollutant-free seabed in Utah. Utah isn’t exactly in my backyard, but most other salts travel thousands of miles before ending up in my pantry.

Pepper is salt’s best friend. I keep cracked pepper on hand along with pepper corns for marinades. Before serving many dishes, I throw a pinch of pepper on top for a bit of spice.

Blends are a great shortcut to have on hand. They allow me to add many flavors to a dish without buying (and storing) a million spice jars. My favorites are:

1. Madras Curry Powder. I go for the mild, but it come in hot too. I make my own curry blend as well, but I do love the kick this one gives to dahls, curry and meats.
2. Garam Masala. Indian spice with hints of cinnamon and cloves. Just about any Indian dish is elevated by using it.
3. Italian Seasoning. Every Italian spice you can imagine in one neat package. I love adding it to a quick dressing or marinade.
4. Herbs De Provence. This is Italian Seasonings fancy, French cousin. Lavender gives it a distinct flavor. Amazing on pork and chicken.
5. Ajika. Georgian spice that I bought on a whim at Trader Joes. It has a kick, so a little goes a long way. It’s deeply aromatic and has become my secret ingredient in many dishes.

Fat is flavor.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. First cold pressed. Use for dressings, finishing, some roasting.

Olive oil. Use in marinades, grilling, higher temps roasting.

Avocado Oil. Use for high temperature cooking, grilling and frying.

Lard. Pig fat that is rendered down for hours. It’s high smoke point makes it ideal for frying. It’s a dairy free alternative to butter and is a secret weapon for flaky pie crust. Pasture raised or forest raised pork is recommended. I have bought lard from Terra Vitae Farm, a regenerative farm in northern Illinois, and I trust them whole heartedly.

Acid to balance it all out.

Acid perks up a dish, transforms a salad dressing and tenderizes meat. If something tastes too rich a squeeze of lemon may be just the trick to balance things out. Masqueraded berries and ice-cream are a prime example of fat and acid leaning on each other to create a delectable dessert. In my pantry I always have the following:

1. Red wine vinegar. Marinades and salad dressings all day.
2. White wine vinegar. Use in brines, perking up a sauce or dressing.
3. Balsamic. Dressing, marinades, a punch of flavor in soup or stew. The absolute necessary ingredient to make balsamic glaze.
4. Champayne Vinegar. This one is a new favorite of mine. I love the zing it gives to dressing and marinades.

Produce.

Garlic. I grow my own garlic, so I now know that garlic isn’t all the same. Some are spicy, some have a sweetness, some cloves are huge, some are red and most importantly, they are either a soft or a hard neck. Hard neck varieties are known to do better in colder climates. They also produce something called a scape. A delicacy that most grocery store shoppers never know exist. They are a shoot that would open up to flower but are removed so the energy can go back to the garlic bulb. The taste is mild with a hint of sweetness. Look for them at farmers markets mid-June. Garlic scape pesto is something I crave throughout the year and savor in its season. Soft neck varieties do store better, about 6 to 9 months while hard neck store for around 3 to 4.

Onion. The bulk of my dishes begin with a chopped onion sautéed in oil. I go for sweet onions more often than not for cooking. Salads I gravitate towards red and salsas I opt for white. Tip: the flatter the onion the more sugar content it has.

Lemons. I am an advocate for buying local and eating the things you can grow in your own backyard, but lemons are where I fold. They are so versatile. Sauce, marinade, dressing, finishing, grilled, the options are endless. I always have them in my pantry.

Dried Goods.

I keep a variety of flour on hand for baking. The two that I use most would be whole wheat bread flour (for my sourdough) and all purpose. If I were to add a third, I would add pastry flour. I do love the texture it gives to baked goods.

Grains. I switch up the grain in my dishes to keep things interesting. Farro, brown rice, quinoa and various pasta shapes are always on hand.

Legumes. Canned beans are a great convenience, but dried allows you to heighten the flavor and achieve a better texture. More bite less mush. My son will snack on beans plain, I use them in so many dishes, including, chili, stew, soup, dips, even desserts. Fried chickpeas are as addictive as potato chips. Lentils and split peas fall into the legume category as well. They are a great source of protein and base for many soups and stews. My red lentil soup is an easy comfort food to make that is full of warm, spicy flavor.

Canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Garden tomatoes will always have my heart. The feeling of opening a can of garden tomatoes in the middle of winter is like reliving the last season.

Nuts/Seeds/Butters. Other than being a quick snack, nuts, seeds or butters are great to have on hand for sauces, dressings, topping and desserts.

Sweeteners.

Honey. Aim to buy local honey. The great benefit to local raw honey is that you are exposing yourself to the natural pollen of your area, strengthening your immune system and fighting off the chance of seasonal allergies.

Maple Syrup. Real, tapped maple sap boiled down to syrup is a delicacy to me. My husband and I tapped our sugar maple in the backyard (You can tap any maple, but the sugar maples are known to be the sweetest) and it truly was unlike any product I’ve ever had. It’s a balanced sweetness, tempting to be sipped on. As I write this, my wounds are still fresh from burning a pot of sap that was on the stove nearly all day. I contemplated cutting the tree down. To say I’m being irrational would be correct.

Coconut Sugar. Sugar made from palm oil sap. Doesn’t spike your blood sugar like cane sugar would.

Cane Sugar. Good ‘ole cane sugar. Some recipes call for the particular sweetness that can only come from this.

You have reached the end! If you stock these items, you are setting yourself up to be a prepared home cook!