A Fully Stocked Kitchen [Part Two - Fridge]

When last we met, I listed what I consider to be pantry staples. Items that, if you have them on hand, will form the foundation of a last minute meal. However, woman cannot live on dried grains and vinegar alone. In order to really have everything you need on hand, you will also need a nicely stocked fridge which is what we'll hit next.

Note: Some of items from Part 1 could also be included here as they require refrigeration once they are opened. Again, please read labels to be sure where you should be storing your foods for the best results.

Fridge Essentials

• Hi-Ho, The Dairy Ohhh
• Milk- (fat percentage of your choice; however, some recipes will call for whole milk. In those instances, I tend to buy the smallest closest amount needed)
• Cream- (heavy or whipping)- in the U.S. most of these have been ultra-pasteurized which means they have a much longer fridge life. Be sure to shake well before using as the solids will settle in the bottom of the container.
• Butter- I stock unsalted butter exclusively. I prefer to be in as much control of the salt in my food as I can be and this is one easy way to limit unnecessary salt. 
• European-style butter - on occasion, I will also have this on hand. This butter which is also referred to as cultured butter, typically, is far more expensive than standard butter. In addition to the price, this butter is made from cream that is naturally cultured by lactic bacteria and then slowly churned into butter. This results in butter with a very high fat content (around 86%) and a unique farm fresh taste. It is wonderful to use on a warm baguette as a spread. As for baking, while you may not see much difference in cookies and cakes, when making any sort of pastry or pie dough, this butter will result in a much flakier product since it has less water content. It will remain solid  longer while baking and that makes for more layers in your crust.
• Sour Cream - I've been using Greek Yogurt more often as a stand in.
• Greek Yogurt - fabulous for marinating chicken in - results in moist delicious chicken; also works well as a stand in for sour cream

• The Cheese Stands Alone -  The preference here is to buy a real honest-to-goodness chunk of cheese that you will then "process" yourself for use as your recipes call for it. However, that being said, I do have some pre-grated Italian cheeses and Mexican cheese blends on hand to make a quick pizza or quesadilla etc. The problem with the pre-grated stuff is that you get chemicals with your cheese....and starch. These additions extend fridge-life by inhibiting mold growth. They also keep the cheese from clumping up and trying to reconstitute itself into a block. 
• Parmesan- this is one I do buy pre-grated; due to its hard, dry nature, it tends not to have the additives of a softer moister cheese.
• Monterrey Jack 
• Mozzerella- standard and fresh - (fresh especially during tomato season)
• Feta
• Cream cheese

• ...Until We Meat Again -  One thing I have found so incredibly helpful in my home cooking, is having a variety of cured meats on hand in the meat tray (salumi, charcuterie or good ol' sandwich meats) The more cured and dried they are, obviously the longer lasting they will be in your fridge. There have been some nights when our home schedule is absolutely insane that El Syd and I will have an antipasto platter for dinner long after the kids are in bed. Otherwise, having some of these meats on hand is fabulous for topping a pizza or for tossing into a quick pasta sauce.
• Pancetta - This Italian bacon is the same cured pork belly as traditional American bacon. It is salt cured with the addition of peppercorns and typically rolled rather than left flat. This is always in my fridge....always.
• Bacon - Just as with pancetta, pork fat makes everything better. Cut into small pieces, fry up on medium until crispy and you've got bacon bits to top a salad, add to beans, just really anything. If you're old school, keep that bacon grease in a grease can in the fridge and use it to add flavor when cooking. A tablespoon added to green beans or skillet potatoes will make your taste buds sing.
• Prosciutto - Italian dry-cured ham. Typically eaten uncooked, it is fabulous wrapped around a sweet cantaloupe(when the melon is in season) for a starter. Added to sauces it is a nice salty, meaty kick. 
• Deli Ham (honey glazed; brown sugar glazed; mesquite smoked - whichever you like best) - julienne strips can make for a nice filling for crepes; cubed it is a nice addition to pasta or rice salad. 
• Eggs - technically not meat per se, I'm sticking them here since they are a protein source. I prefer to get my eggs from my farm co-op or farmer's market whenever possible. The difference is very apparent with regards to freshness of the eggs and the quality of the yolks. At times, I will have a dozen hard-boiled eggs in addition to fresh eggs. Those hard-boiled eggs will last quite some time and make for a quick egg salad or deviled egg snack.

•  Do Get Fresh With Me - As I've previously mentioned, we belong to a CSA (community sponsored agriculture) co-op of sorts, Johnson's Backyard Garden. For a nominal fee, I pick up a half-bushel box of fresh, organic, seasonal, locally grown produce bi-weekly. Joining this has really expanded my cooking horizons and at times, feels like my very own stint on the show Chopped or Iron Chef. I've faced everything from your standard summer squashes, eggplants, tomatoes and greens to things I've never prepared before like kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts leaves (who knew?!) and Malabar spinach. When your fridge is loaded with veggies, it is an incentive to use them and eat them, and when you continue to receive the same vegetable over the course of the growing season, it is an incentive to start trying something new rather than the same exact preparation each time. We have done a good job of really trying to maintain the practice of eating mostly just what is in seasonal. However, there are some things that we supplement with and tend to always have on hand.
• Onions - sweet, red, white - I find that I buy less and less white onions and have begun to rely exclusively on sweet onions. For those in Texas (and to some extent elsewhere) the Texas 1015 onion is superb. 
• Potatoes - Yukon gold is my go-to spud. Remember to keep your potatoes and onions separately as the onions release gasses that will cause those potatoes to sprout. Once sprouted, the potatoes will begin to produce chlorophyll (green tint) which will also indicate the presence of solanine which is a naturally occurring toxin. Additionally, many sources will state that storing potatoes and onions on the counter is preferable, and that very well may be true. However, I've found that in Texas, our warm and many times humid conditions will promote more sprouting in both onions and potatoes. I keep them both (in separate drawers) in the fridge.
• Garlic - fresh bulbs are my preference. For a while, I used the minced in the jar garlic, but like in the case of the pre-processed cheeses, I found the preservative it is soaking in off-putting. It really isn't that hard to have the garlic ready to go and use a garlic press to get that same small minced size as from the jar.
• Lemons and limes - citrus fruits are notoriously long-lived (used on shipboard to prevent scurvy in sailors in the late 19thC). Have them on hand to provide fresh juice  as a kick of acid over sauteed spinach, pan sauces, salad dressings (in place of vinegars), etc.
• Cherry Tomatoes -  Tomatoes are tricky. They can be one of the most delicious things you've ever eaten, or a flavorless, waxy hunk of nothing.  When it isn't actually tomato season, I find that the small cocktail tomatoes, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are your best bet. I lean toward the Nature Sweet Cherubs as my year-round go to tomato. They are super in a salad or cut in half with small balls of fresh mozzarella or just as a snack. 

• It Must Be Jelly... - I like to keep assorted jellies, jams & preserves on hand in the fridge. Fig, mango, jalapeno are just a few that can always add a sweetness to sauces or be served with cheese and crackers or as a topping to cream cheese as an appetizer.

That about sums up my fridge - In the next installment of the series, we'll move from fridge to freezer and I'll share what I like to have in long-term storage there.

Update (1/27/15) - Since originally writing this post, we have ceased our CSA subscription and rather, shop the farmers' market for our items. While my hand isn't as forced as it is with a CSA, we've found that we are able to get appropriate quantities of things we like and still pick up a few new-to-us-items. The farmers' market is a great, no-commitment way to expand your family's food horizons.

Happy Cooking!

sld

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