Tag: Pantry

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry Z

ellenparkerwrites

In the childhood game of “Grandmother’s Trunk”, which I adapted for my blog this spring, you repeated all of the previous items before you added one for the next letter. So…

I opened Grandmother’s Pantry and found:

Apples, bananas, and corn. Dates, and eggs, and figs. Garlic and guacamole are a pair, followed by hotcakes and honey. Ice cream with jelly. Kiwi and lemon. Let’s have marshmallows, nutmeg, olives and peanuts and popcorn. Quiona, root beer, and sausage follow. Tuna with tomato comes before upside down cake and vanilla. Walnuts. Xylose for those of you with bio-chem degrees is paired with yams.

Finally — we get to the final item. Be prepared to Zip out to the garden for a firm, green Zucchini.

Do you like your Zucchini in a nut bread? Fried up as a side-dish? Or raw with dip while watching TV?

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry X & Y

ellenparkerwrites

I opened the door to grandmother’s pantry and stilled my hand.

“Grandmother, I’m looking for an X food today.”

“Child, I’m special and keep a well stocked pantry. However, only eXtra special grandmothers keep a jar of Xylose. I suggest you move along to Y.”

“Thank you.” I moved a few things around and found the Yeast. I could make a large variety of baked goods. I wonder if any of them contain Yogurt?

Yams. Are they different from sweet potatoes? This Northern girl can’t tell the difference. But she likes them baked.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – W

ellenparkerwrites

I walked over to Grandmother’s pantry and opened the door. “W, W, W,” I muttered.

What to eat with W? You say the letter and all I think is Water. That’s fine for a beverage, but my stomach wants food.

Watermelon season? Oh, nice and sweet. Eat and wash your face at the same time. (Everyone was happier when the children, and some adults, ate watermelon outside.)

Whitefish is delicious. Welsh Rarebit is often mistaken for something else entirely. Worcestershire Sauce adds flavor but only experts can pronounce it quickly and correctly three times in a row. Wine — perhaps to finish off after the Water glass is empty.

Walnuts add texture and flavor to many baked goods. Not bad as a snack, either.

These are English Walnuts — the ones you find in mixed nuts near the winter holidays.

Black Walnuts have a different, very nice, flavor — and a much more difficult shell.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – U & V

ellenparkerwrites

Near the end of the alphabet this project is getting more difficult.

Ugli fruit, when you find it, is a type of citrus. One of grandmother’s cookbooks describes how to eat sea Urchin — I think I’ll pass.

Veal and Venison supply a nice main course for the letter “V”. Vegetables and Vitamins are broad words rather than specific. Of course, we can top it all off with Vodka. (Necessary with the Urchin?)

Remember to add the Vanilla to your Upside Down Cake!

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – T

ellenparkerwrites

Tell me True. What’s for lunch?

Grandmother opened the back door and pointed to the garden. “Bring me a “T” food.”

Pausing at the edge of the tended earth, I thought for a moment. I don’t especially like Turnips. We don’t have a Tangerine Tree. We buy Turmeric at the store, in the spice aisle. Turkeys are banned from the garden. Tea doesn’t grow in this climate.

Then I spied them — standing so tall with red, ripe fruit.

I got one — I found part of lunch.

Tuna and Tomato. May I have mine on Toast?

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – S

ellenparkerwrites

I opened the pantry door and gazed at Sugar, Salt, and Sage. Did grandmother have a recipe which used all three?

She found me sitting and thinking.

“You have a choice for our Seafood Supper. Do you want Salmon or Shrimp? We start with Salad and will end with Sherbet.

Together we examined the cookbooks. I had to admit, grandmother planned a fine meal. However, when it came time to take a photo…

Sausages, plump and flavorful. My ancestors often paired them with Sauerkraut – except at breakfast.

Have you eaten an “S” food today?

Considering the number of foods in which you find either sugar or salt or both, my guess is “yes”.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – Q

ellenparkerwrites

What’s for supper? I tossed the question to a dozing grandmother as I strode to the pantry.

“Nothing.” She replied from her rocker.

“Are you sure?”

“Check the book.”

I pulled her favorite cookbook from the shelf and turned to the index. Oh, my! The “Q” portion of the index was short. What’s a person to do? Time was too short to prepare a Quiche. Not a Quince in the house.

Mumble, mumble. Got it!

I prepared a new-to-me grain –Quinoa.

Following directions (almost) I cooked it similar to rice and enjoyed the texture.

Hint from the dairy farmer’s daughter: Better with Butter.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – P

ellenparkerwrites

Grandmother! Grandmother! Let me fix supper!

We’ve arrived at one of my favorite food letters. Here’s the menu:

Begin with a Pear salad. Follow with Pulled Pork served with Potatoes sprinkled with Parsley. We’ll drink Peach Punch and polish it off with Pecan Pie.

Too much? You want to get lighter? Oh…..finger food.

Sing a snacking song with me. Peanuts, and Popcorn…

If you live in the Upper Midwest — add Pop.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – O

ellenparkerwrites

When the day begins early you need a good breakfast — something with “staying power”

So in the pantry and fridge I began the day with Oatmeal and Orange juice.

What’s for later?

You’ll like it, Grandmother replied. I’m trying something new: fried Oysters with Oregano garnish.

My taste buds danced in anticipation. For as always at the table with such a meal, I’d find:

Olives of two different degrees of tart and Olive Oil to add sass to the salad.

Blog

Grandmother’s Pantry – N

ellenparkerwrites

I reached into Grandmother’s pantry and paused my hand over the noodles. Packaged?

“I gave up making my own — to difficult with age.”

Oh, but they were good. Rich with eggs, flavored with salt and the stiff dough rolled thin. I think they are my favorite “N” food. Let’s see…what else can we find for a meal. Oh, yes, we’ll garnish the Noodles with a few washed Nasturtium leaves. And we’ll dine on a handful of nuts to finish it off.

The photo? Neither Noodles nor Nuts — but…

Nutmegs ready for the grater. A little bit adds a lot of flavor and interest to many foods. My favorite meatball recipe includes a nice portion and pumpkin pie wouldn’t be complete without a dash.