Pantry raid

asparagus soup that started our easter dinner

When we first moved into our new house in December, there was a very large, blank wall in our kitchen that was just screaming to be used. Our kitchen cabinets are on the old side and they're fine for storing dishes and appliances, but I am not a big fan of storing food in cupboards. I think it?s because I have been SUPER spoiled in my post-college abodes, which have always had a separate pantry, including one apartment that had a huge butler's pantry ... with a window! Heaven. I really like being able to see what I have on hand. It makes be more organized, prevents me from buying things I already have and keeps me from buying naughty (Oreos, chips, etc.) foods items since they are on full display for everyone to see!
As you can see, it utilizes the entire space from floor to ceiling and from side to side. I even have a whole shelf for my most-used cookbooks, which is so nice. Each shelf houses a theme ? cereal grains and baking; pasta, grains, legumes and canned good; spices, snacks, condiments and cereal, with the higher shelves relegated to onion and potato storage and baskets holding non-essentials, like paper bags, blades to my food processer and lunch sacks. The only downside is that Pickle can access his "snacks" easily; something he has just started doing. Cheddar Bunnies at 7 a.m. is not my idea of a balances breakfast!

So, if you have some unused real estate in your kitchen, all you need is a sturdy wire shelf and some baskets and bins for an instant pantry.

At the market:
Mustard greens
Arugula
English hothouse cucumber
Dreamfarm eggs and 'rosebud' goat cheese

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday: sausage and arugula pizza with a grape-tomato salad
Monday: spicy pork and mustard green stir fry
Tuesday: Greek salad with cucumber, grape-tomatoes and feta, whole-grain pitas and hummus on the side
Wednesday: skirt steak tacos with avocado, onions and cilantro; grape-tomato and chickpea salad
Thursday: cacio e pepe
Friday: something on the grill ... maybe sausages?

Happy eating, -s.