the bare necessities

I left you hanging on those last words. This is a guideline for "the bare necessities" all of which can be purchased from your local food co-op or buying club. The thing about buying from your local co-op is that you don't have to worry, everything in their is a sustainable choice. You can also pick up an order form from your co-op to buy in bulk directly from the warehouse. 


look for the bare necessities:
flour,
rice
sugar
oats
cornmeal
barley
dried fruit
baking powder
cocoa powder
tea
coffee
dried herbs
ground or whole spices
salt
dried beans
dried peas
honey
molasses
popcorn
other grains
nuts
nutritional yeast (just dried fungus, does not contain B12)
farm raised eggs (there is a farmwife in your town who collects those daily)
cream
butter
milk
yogurt (or make your own...it is way yummier)
fresh cheese (make your own with liquid rennet)
aged cheese
olives
oils
soy sauce
fresh meat
dried meat
cured meat
fresh fish
smoked fish
canned fish
tofu
vinegar
seaweed
wine
beer
ginger
mushrooms
vegetables
fruits

ok. there you have it. with those ingredients you can create almost anything!

How to build a meal, even a dessert! (PIE) 
foundation = grains (diversify your grains!), legumes (diversify!)
building blocks = vegetables/fruit, eggs, milk (eat seasonally), chiles/spices = flavor!!
garnish = meat, cheese, tofu, olives, oils (moderately), seasoning

some examples of complete meals:
breakfast: quiche: sourdough crust (studded with herbs, spices, ground nuts or seeds) + eggs + milk + sauteed greens, mushrooms, seasonal produce, and cheese/meat
lunch: smorgasbord: sourdough bread + fresh ground nut butter + probiotic rich condiment (saurkraut)
dinner: dahl: dried split peas + vegetables + oil, + spices
treat: crumble bar: wheat flour + sugar + cream + spices + vanilla + fruit + oats
beverage: homemade beer, red wine, ginger ale, coffee, tea

some personal notes: I am 20, female, 5' 5" and weight about 100 lbs. I walk everywhere so I sweat a lot and find that I need to eat a lot of salt. I need to sprinkle un peu plus de sel on everything and like to add a knob of butter or splash of cream to most things. I do not eat red meat or poultry. I occasionally eat local fish and love pickled herring. mmm I love pickled anything. To satisfy hunger pains I will drink a brew of hot water, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and vinegar. yummy!
My current favorite foods:
I love eggs
sourdough toast
rice of all sorts
kale, cabbage, spinach, onion, garlic, winter squash, carrots, mushrooms, ginger, chiles
butter
soy sauce
honey
fresh, dried, or preserved fruit
sauerkraut