Here is a list of some of my current pantry favs. I like to keep foods that are as local and as seasonal as possible (for living in Canada), with some obvious GF or DF exceptions.
Meg’s Top Pantry Items, Winter 2014:
- Microgreens or sprouts -I can grow sprouts on my own but I love what Toronto’s KindOrganics sprout company produces. I’m glad to support them. Greens include kale, arugula, spinach and romaine.
- Root veg -these are seasonal veggies, and they are delicious roasted, in soups, spiral cut into a salad, and as baked fries! my favs: beets, carrots, parsnip, and yams.
- Baby kale and arugula which is grown year round in greenhouses. We buy monstrous amounts.
- Sanagan’s Meat locker meats. Found in Kensington Market, Toronto, they only sell from local farmer’s that produce hormone and antibiotics free meats. A+ in my books. We don’t eat a lot of meat, but when we do quality and how it’s grown is essential.
- Ontario apples – Ontario is a champion province for agriculture and fruit is high on its list of local produce grown in the province.
- Avocado & almonds – not at all local but I love the healthy fats found in avocado and how easy it is to grind up almonds to use as a flour in baking. Almonds are a gluten-free staple for me.
- Anything with probiotics! This includes homemade sauerkraut and pickles, and my own homemade kombucha.
- Garlic and onions for cooking.
- Local free-range eggs.
- Any of my favorite gluten-free products I might occasionally use:
- King Soba noodles: buckwheat, yam and brown rice, wakame and brown rice. This brand is high in fiber and uses minimal ingredients.
- Queen St Bakery bread: they use legumes in their flour blend, grape skin for added fiber and simply taste great.
- Mary’s Caraway crackers: uses great ingredients and whole seeds.
Healthy Roots Meg 
Yum. Sounds very healthy. How do you use your sprouts up? Sometimes I find that I’ll get zealous about growing sprouts but am overwhelmed after the first day of them in salad and sandwiches…. Also, do you have a sprout that you prefer?
Great questions, Wren! I absolutely adore sprouts for their nutrient density, enzymes, and easy access for sprucing up any meal. Garlic and radish sprouts steal the show for flavor and are always a number one choice for me. As for uses, like you, i put them on salads, wraps, and sandwiches, but I also enjoy them in homemade pesto, on soups, a garnish on homemade pizza before its served, to name a few. They really are quite versatile when it comes to how they can be used, as long as they are raw.