Occasionally I find myself picking up a food magazine - you know the sort that comes free in the supermarket - I’m immediately taken in by the beautiful photos and delicious food - who wouldn’t be?

Looking a little closer, I often find that the recipes have long lists of ingredients - sometimes 20 or more - often just a tiny amount of each item. I then find that there are multiple, often complex steps involved. Add to that the ingredients are often far from seasonal - something which, as I seek a slower, simpler and more seasonal approach to life - matters deeply.

Bowl of Barony Mill medium oatmeal on a wooden tray with the oatmeal bag in the background.

In some ways, I understand why these magazines include recipes like this - the supermarket wants to sell as many ingredients as possible. You can even upload the list of ingredients directly to your online shopping list. The quantities required are, of course, just the right amount that the supermarket sells.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself embracing simple food - the types of meals which are seasonal and nourishing - the sort we’d find in traditional farmhouse kitchens of the past. With that return to simplicity has come a realisation that having some basic staples in the cupboard or fridge means that a simple meal is always possible. Well-stocked store cupboards in the slow and simple kitchen offer reassurance, and in having the basics close to hand, we find wisdom in centuries of nourishing meals.

Why a simple store cupboard matters

I accept that for me, cooking slowly and simply is an act of defiance in a modern world which craves more. As I wrote in this post over on Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge, I often choose less, but I also choose enough. As I shared in this journal entry, there is something deep in my soul which craves a return to simple food.

Jar of honey, a traditional natural sweetener in a simple store cupboard.

But I think there are practical reasons too. Cooking simply, and having a well-stocked store cupboard helps to reduce overwhelm, makes it easier to cook from scratch, saves money, encourages creativity, and supports seasonal cooking. It allows us to combine the best of the season with those simple store cupboard staples available all year round.

My 10 Store Cupboard Essentials

In this journal entry, I’d love to share with you 10 store cupboard staples which support and enrich my love of slow, simple and seasonal cooking. Having them present in the house offers me that quiet reassurance that I can always create something nourishing from scratch. I’ve included a few items here which we normally keep in the fridge, so I hope you will indulge that little diversion from the store cupboard (and of course, not everyone keeps eggs in the fridge anyway!)

If you’d like some recipe inspiration, why not turn the pages of the Journal to read the entry in which I shared 10 Cookbooks That Inspire, Slow, Simple, and Seasonal Cooking.

Flour

I appreciate that there are multiple types of different flour in our store cupboard - after all, I make all my own bread - but even just a basic white flour can produce a loaf of bread, a flatbread, a griddle scone, dumplings, scones, and pastry.

Pearl Barley

I love how versatile pearl barley is, not just as a grain to bulk out soups and stews, but to make things like risotto. As the liquid makes the grains swell, a little goes a long way. That makes it an incredibly good value ingredient in the simple kitchen - it will absorb any delicious flavours you pair it with. Note, you can also use pearled spelt in the same way - a slightly nuttier flavour and more expensive, but a nice variation.

Oatmeal

Rolled (jumbo or otherwise) oats are very good for flapjacks and granola, but for me, nothing beats proper oatmeal for porridge. We buy medium ground oatmeal from the wonderful Barony Mill on Orkney. Like pearl barley, a little goes a long way. There’s something special about the earthiness of oatmeal which I find deeply nourishing.

Suet

Inevitably, suet has gone out of fashion in our health-conscious modern world (though people seem more than happy to consume ultra-processed and chemically-engineered fats), but I think it plays a valuable role in the simple kitchen. Combined with flour, and even herbs of your choice, it makes scrumptious dumplings for stews and soups. It also makes delicious pastry, and of course, all manner of sweet and savoury puddings. If you're vegetarian, then I gather vegetarian suet is also available.

Bag of Barony Mill medium oatmeal from Orkney used for traditional porridge.

Potatoes

Although potatoes were introduced relatively late in this country - in the late-16th century - they are another versatile staple in the simple kitchen. Not only can they be boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and all manner of other things, but they are the base for so many soups. I find that whole potatoes sat on top of a slow-cooked stew are a delicious addition. In the summer and autumn when herbs are available in abundance, I’m often found to be cooking potato and herb soup - potatoes, herbs, salt and water.

Eggs

Many of you will, I’m sure, have your own chickens, or access to eggs from local farms and farm shops, but even if not, they are such a useful ingredient to have to hand - either on their own as boiled, scrambled or baked - or to add to a whole range of other meals. Make an omelette or frittata, and they are a meal in themselves.

Cheese

In centuries past, our ancestors made cheese in the seasons when there was more milk available than they could use fresh. Well-matured, hard cheeses would be a staple of rural kitchens all year round. Sometimes we need a simple, nourishing meal, and so often, bread and cheese is all that’s required. You can, of course, stock your fridge with a range of cheeses (we often have parmesan and feta) or make your own, but nothing beats a good, strong cheddar.

Ceramic chicken egg holder filled with fresh eggs in a traditional kitchen.

Onions

Like potatoes, onions are the base of so many soups and stews. With onions and potatoes in the store cupboard or fridge, you can easily add simple, seasonal ingredients as they become available.

Salt

Another controversial ingredient in our modern world, but good quality salt will enhance any dish - savoury or sweet. As is so often the case in the slow and simple kitchen, the better the quality, the less you need.

Honey

Over the past few years, we’ve tried to cut down the amount of sugar we use in favour of honey. We’ve recently started making our own granola where a little honey is just what’s needed to add a touch of sweetness, without it being, like so many shop-bought ones, sickly. I love honey drizzled over oatmeal porridge too, and a little added to bread is also delicious.

The Quiet Comfort of a Well-Stocked Kitchen

As I’ve sought to cook simple food, with good quality ingredients, seasonal where possible, I’ve found it such a wonderful way to root myself in the rhythms of the changing seasons, and connect with the past.

Wooden tray with onions, potatoes and carrots, simple traditional kitchen ingredients.

Having a well-stocked store cupboard means I feel reassured that I am always prepared - I can always cook something nourishing with what’s available at that moment - in that season.

If you feel overwhelmed by cooking, and you’d love to simplify your approach to food, cooking and eating, why not return to some of these simple basics? Not only will you find them rooting, nutritious, and deeply nourishing, you might just find that they offer excellent value for money too.

What would be in your simple and seasonal kitchen store cupboard? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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