Pantry post: grains...

...or carbs, or starch. Whatever you'd like to call them. Here's what I usually have in my kitchen:

Grains I have at home...photo by Kristin
Pasta: Probably what I use the most. During the winter, we will have some kind of pasta dish several times a week. I use both white whole wheat, depending on what I'm using as a sauce. A favorite combo is whole wheat pasta with roasted onions, brussel sprouts, garlic, bacon and white beans with lots of grated cheese. I use mostly dried pasta, but like to have a bag or two of frozen ravioli around for super quick dinners. I have yet to use my pasta maker here in Seattle, but have been toying with using it to make some to have on hand in the freezer. Our farmers market has a few purveyors of fresh pasta and it's one thing that I don't mind letting someone else doing the work. Couscous is a type of pasta. It's usually sold in the quick-cooking form and takes no time at all to cook. Cover it with boiling liquid and in five minutes, it's done. Buckwheat noodles only take four minutes to cook. I like them for breakfast with a poached egg, or make a quick miso based soup for lunch. I always try to make extra pasta for my husband to take to work for lunch.

Rice: Both brown and white. I use them both equally, depending on what I'm making. Brown for healthy or when I want a nutty flavor and white when I'm impatient. But always with a rice cooker! It's so easy to throw the rice and water in and just let it do it's thing. It tastes the same as rice cooked on the stove, and it's never ever burnt.

Oats, farrow, barley: All things I have but use much less frequently. I did just learn a new trick for steel cut oats. In a container with a lid, place the oats and liquid of your choice(water, milk, soy milk) in the fridge overnight. By the morning, the oats have absorbed the liquid and you have the starting point for a really hearty breakfast. If you prefer it hot, just pop it in your microwave for a minute. During the summer, I just add fixins and have it cold. It's completely different than the porridge consistency of rolled oats. Maybe more similar to couscous, but with a hearty chewy quality. And that reminds me, I have been known to make couscous in a pinch in the mornings and add the same fixins I would for oatmeal.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned bread yet. The truth is, we don't really eat much of it. I order a baguette to be delivered with our produce and might make sammies for dinner one night, or for the hubby's lunch one day. I feel I'm usually trying to figure out what to do with the last half before it turns into a rock. I sometimes freeze it, sometimes make croutons or bread crumbs, but mostly sigh heavily when I realize it has already turned into a rock.

Since I've covered a lot of different items, I'm having trouble thinking of a recipe to post. So I open the floor to you. If you'd like ideas for any of the things I mentioned above, let me know!