When fall rolls around every year, we anticipate that after the kids are back to school and the days start getting shorter, there will be a brief period of time when things will slow down.
A break of sorts as we downshift from summer and gear up for the impending holiday seasons (plural) which seem to start up again the month before Halloween. Often, we find quite abruptly that this is not the case. That leisurely Saturday morning freed up from obsessive yardwork suddenly is a magnet for youth sports, runs to the market and the realization that the empty patio chair will stay that way until it’s covered with snow.
Our plans for a Sunday dinner could fall through simply because we haven’t finished up what we frantically started on Saturday. And before you know it, Sunday night with all its ominous overtones is staring us in the face, and with it the realization that time stands still for no one.
Which presents a perfect opportunity for me to once again introduce the concept of a well-stocked pantry and the precious minutes that it may provide in a weekend. It really is no different than what I do at The Sage Rabbit or what my commissary manager does at Sullivan University with our culinary students; plan ahead.
By examining your family’s eating habits (menu) and breaking down those habits into dishes (prep list) you can have most items available when you want them. This system is no different from the one your mother might have used to create a shopping list. It helps to organize not only a pantry but also schedule specific meals and aid in buying some of your groceries in bulk.
With two large, young men at home our milk consumption alone would keep Bessie busy around the clock.
The first major pillar of pantry stocking is the farmer’s market. And I say that not only as an avid supporter of local food, but also as someone who at this point in the year sees the seasons slipping away. Sundried tomatoes, dried herbs, pickled beets will all go into your pantry from your garden or from a local farmer. The last of the green beans can be trimmed blanched and shocked, and frozen.
Smoke some peppers, peel them and can them. The Sage Rabbit buys many pounds of late season local tomatoes to peel seed and serve to you in February, no reason why you can’t do the same thing.
Address your starch shelf next. Dried pasta, some good brands please. Grains, like cous cous, bulgur, and quinoa can add some needed filler to a dinner. Rice like Arborio for risotto can also be a great substitute in rice pudding because of the starch content. Basmati and jasmine will give you an opportunity to navigate between several cuisines on a weekly basis. Round it out with brown rice and long grain rice, the workhorses of a stocked kitchen. While I generally avoid canned products, they are a must in the pantry.
Several types of canned beans can sit next to dried lentils, split peas and even dried favas. Pick some highlights like artichokes hearts and hearts of palm, items that dress up the weekly pasta or salad. A can of pimentos, a can of bamboo shoots or water chestnuts are more than cliched additions to an ethnic dish, they add texture, and pick up flavors of the recipe.
Don’t neglect condiments, which may start in the pantry and end up in the fridge. Several good hot sauces that span the range from sweet hot to blistering. Mustards, chutneys and pastes are necessary to extend flavor. This is the place for that home-grown chow chow or bread and butter pickles to go along with that good canned tuna you have.
Jams and jellies not only for p b and j but also classic sauces like Cumberland which goes well with game. Nuts and dried fruit for pesto with your basil and compote with local apples.
I could go on, but I realize that your pantry probably isn’t a room at Sullivan University that is bigger than most residential dining rooms.
Even my dry pantry at home tends to spill out into other areas of the kitchen, as I try to anticipate everything that might be needed. Stick with the main ingredients and ones that can cross over to several dishes and as you continue to experiment you will find yourself expanding in some areas and contracting others.
It’s important to restock as you go. It’s also easier to expand and contract if you plan ahead.
I know that’s not the romantic notion you have of chefs, we are spontaneous genius’ after all. But we are also obsessive planners, which makes our culinary nonchalance look like magic.
Meals will flow more easily if all you have to do is draw from a ready source, the work and the creative fun of planning a nightly meal will be less of a burden and more of the joy that I feel when I cook for you at the bunny.
John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit.
To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here.
