A slow autumn pantry: 12 staples I always keep
Fewer trips to the shop, less waste and a dinner always within reach. The jars, grains and preserves that carry my kitchen from September to the first frost.
Every September I clear one shelf, wash the jars and restock it slowly over a few market mornings. By October the pantry does most of the thinking for me.
This is not a list of everything you could buy. It is the twelve things I reach for nearly every week, chosen because they keep well and turn a few vegetables into a proper meal.
The twelve staples
- Good olive oil and a bright red wine vinegar
- Pearl barley, farro and short-grain rice
- Tinned tomatoes, white beans and chickpeas
- Dried porcini and a block of parmesan
- Honey, oats and walnuts for breakfasts
- One jar of homemade fig & thyme jam
A good pantry is not about having more. It is about always having enough.
Members can download the printable pantry checklist and a four-week autumn meal plan built entirely from this shelf.