Stocking the pantry

Half the battle in cooking a new recipe is to already have the ingredients in my house. I don’t care how good your chili, tacos or soup is–if I don’t have the ingredients, I am turning the page. My family’s hungry now!

So here’s a list of our staple foods, categorized by store. I’m sure I’ll forget some, but it’s a start. What you won’t find are many processed foods. We have some, so my kids don’t feel like freaks, but I try to buy products with ingredients I recognize and avoid those with hydrogenated oils and soy lecithin.

Happy shopping!

TRADER JOES (twice a month)

Empire organic chicken (fryers and breasts)
Bread-sprouted for me, regular whole wheat for my kids
Tofu-lots of it!
Coffee–whole beans which I grind at home
Organic whole milk
Lots of plain, whole milk yogurt (we mix in our own flavors)
Heavy whipping cream (for whipped cream and salad dressings)
Feta cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Cage-free eggs
Steel oats
Lots of nuts: pecans, cashews, almonds, pine nuts
Chocolate chips
Frozen fruit (organic strawberries and blueberries)
Snacks for school lunches
Tortilla chips
whole wheat flour
Coconut milk
rice milk
almond milk

FARMERS’ MARKET OR PRODUCE STORE (every week)

2 large squash (butternut, pumpkin, carnival, acorn, etc.)
napa cabbage
organic baby spinach and lettuce
2 bags organic carrots
Grapes (from the US only)
Peppers, if they’re organic and not too expensive (which they never are)
onions
shallots
tons of garlic
rutebega
citrus (in the winter, when it’s in season down south)
tomatoes (only in the summer)
Persian cucumbers
long beans (like string beans, but easier to prepare and delicious)
organic celery
cauliflower
organic potatoes
3 bags of organic apples
Tomatillos–for salsa verde (stay tuned)
basil, cilantro and other fresh herbs
dried beans
olive oil
Grapeseed oil

TARGET (weekly. or twice a week. or three times.)
Sesame oil
Canned foods, like corn, diced tomatoes and tomato paste
Cereal
Big canister of Old Fashioned oats
Snacks for lunches
Bottled water for lunches
Cream cheese
Orange juice
Milk
Raisins
Corn tortillas
whole wheat flour
corn flour
Stevia
Baking ingredients
spices

A JEWISH GROCERY (every two months?)
Balsamic vinegar
Matzah
Grape juice

WHOLE FOODS or JD MILLS (every two-three months)
Whole wheat pastry flour
tempeh
wheat germ
gluten (for challah)
Bulk grains, popcorn, beans and more. See my post on bulk foods.