With few fresh vegetables and fruits in season, wintertime calls for a new approach to cooking. Look into the pantry for inspiration; if your supplies are running low, our list of pantry basics will help you complete your winter larder.
To extend your winter pantry beyond the shelves of dried and canned goods, stock your freezer with the flavorful homemade broths and sauces that are elemental to winter cooking; make double or triple batches of these staples to last you through the season.
STOCKING THE PANTRY
Make sure you have the basics.
Dried and canned beans: cannellini, chickpeas, black, pinto
French green and brown lentils
Arborio and basmati rice
Assorted pasta shapes
Couscous
Quick-cooking polenta
Kasha
Dried porcini mushrooms
Dried chiles
Sun-dried tomatoes
Capers
Olives
Olive paste
Marinated artichokes
Canned tomatoes: whole, diced, crushed, pureed
Anchovies
Imported oil-packed tuna
Homemade Staples
Store these items in airtight containers in the freezer for up to three months.
Don't Throw Out...
Keep these flavor boosters in the freezer, and add them to a pot of simmering soup or beans; discard before serving.
The rinds of hard cheeses like Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
Scraps of smoked meats: prosciutto, bacon, and smoked turkey
Fresh herbs that have begun to wilt
RECIPES FROM THE WINTER PANTRY
Butternut Squash Risotto
French Lentil and Swiss Chard Risotto
Tuna and Farfalle Puttanesca
Couscous with Spiced Red Sauce, Chickpeas, and Almonds
Wild Mushroom Ragout with Creamy Polenta
Three Bean Ribollita
Pasta e Fagioli
Pork and Pinto Bean Chili
Cannellini beans are white kidney beans; I would also add canned dark red kidney beans for even more nutrition and variety. I use both types to make incredible soups and stews with lamb and beef.
Don't forget lots of oatmeal and raisins.