Pantry Essentials

It’s not a normal Friday. Schools are closing, every other email is a cancellation, and social media is buzzing with images of empty grocery store shelves. We’re all struggling to adapt to this chaos, maintain our health, and prepare ourselves. Meal planning has always given me calm and control in moments when I feel overwhelmed, [...]

7 Simple Homemade Salad Dressings Once you have the basic vinaigrette down, there are so many variations you can make based on what you have on hand. That goes for my easy buttermilk ranch recipe, too! Toss in some poppy seeds, a handful of basil or a clove or 2 of garlic to add some [...]

Long Grain Brown Rice is a less processed relative to the white rice we all know well. While the two can be used interchangeably, the nutritional value of brown rice makes it the better choice when shopping for your Pantry 20. This is due in part to the processing of brown rice, versus white. During [...]

Stock versus Broth? This is often the most pondered question when it comes to this pantry staple. The difference between the two has to do with how each one is made. Stock is created by simmering, in water, left over bones, trimmings of meat and/or vegetables making a mild flavored base for soups. When making [...]

Black pepper is known to be one of the world’s most traded spices, making it almost a given that it would be a part of the Pantry 20. Native to southern India and Indonesia, and grown as the fruit of the Piperaceae vine, grape-like clusters are picked and dried, becoming what we know as peppercorns. [...]

As you scan the ingredient lists from your Fresh 20 meal plans each week, you’ve probably noticed we use whole wheat flours for more than just baking. Maybe you hadn’t considered using them when making a roux, as a breading for chicken breasts, or as a thickener when making sauces. Are you’re left wondering if [...]

Oregano became popular in the United States during World War ll. Soldiers returning referred to it as, ‘The Pizza Herb’, after enjoying in the cuisine they ate while stationed in southern Italy. Today, we enjoy this marjoram relative for the fragrant, warm flavor it’s dried leaves bring to not only Italian dishes, but Latin and [...]

Paprika is often the spice we associate as the red adornment sprinkled atop deviled eggs. While that is true, there’s so much more to this spice than that. Made from the dried fruit of a variety of bell peppers and chilies paprika is a deep red-orange spice with a mild, smoky flavor that adds little [...]

Tomato paste is a thick paste created by cooking down tomatoes, to reduce their juices, then straining and cooking again to further reduce. The result, is a thick, deep red, concentrated paste of rich, tomato goodness. At the Fresh 20 you’ll find tomato paste used in a variety of ways. To punch up the flavor [...]