Summer Pantry

Summer is the time that I am refilling my pantry with my own canned goods, jams, brandied fruit, pickle relish, and all kinds of pickled fruit and vegetables. Some purchased items round out the summer pantry. Here’s what you’ll find in mine, ‘What’s In Your Pantry?’©

Anchovy paste – for great salad dressings and more

Artichoke Hearts – Salads, antipasto platter, or mix in pasta

BBQ sauce – for quick grilled meals

Canned or dried beans – I keep some refrigerated for tossing in salads

Canned Tomatoes and Pasta sauce – indispensible for all sorts of dishes

Chicken Stock – canned or homemade

Chili sauce – Ketchup – Horseradish – Worcestershire sauce

Crackers – Mixed

Dried Pasta – Great for cold salads and fast meals

Dried Italian sausage – for hot, hot nights, a cold platter of cheese, sausage, some pickled veggies and a hunk of fresh bread, but don’t forget the wine!

Hearts of Palm – antipasto platter or salads

Italian Tuna in olive oil –

Potatoes – Small fingerling type for salads, frittatas and roasting

Rice – Bomba (for paella), Carnaroli or Arborio (for risotto) and Jasmine for everything else

Tapenades – unexpected company? easy appetizers

Nuts – almonds, pine nuts (fresh pesto anyone?), walnuts

Oats – for yummy cobblers, muffins and fruit crisps

Olives – Can you tell I love antipasto platters?

Cold Pantry

Cheese – cheddar, jack, mozzarella, fontina, Swiss and blue

Pizza dough (in the freezer, of course), quick to defrost and throw on a grill topped with anything!

Frozen fruit – from the garden or the farmers market. Freeze individually then place in a quart-sized bag, for fruit tart, crisp or pie