A full pantry

There are a few things better than a full pantry and freezer, but not many.
Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, we would plant a garden the size of a farmer's field and, every Fall, my mother would can, pickle and freeze whatever she could.
We also raised cattle, so the deep freeze always offered a full supply of meat to get us through the rough Prairie winters.
I live in the city, and on any given day I have a wealth of grocery options a mere 10 minute walk away but I still fill my pantry and freezer with a few week's worth of food -- just in case.
This week both were tested. I'd spent more than I budgeted this month and found myself having to rely on the foresight of my pantry fixation.
And my pantry did not disappoint.
On Monday, I diced onions, garlic, carrots, fennel and potatoes and threw them in a stock pot with olive oil, dried oregano and thyme, and leftover homemade chicken stock that I had stored away in my freezer.
My pantry always contains several cans of tomatoes and beans, so I added a half can each to my soup and let that stew till the house was filled with the aromas of home cooking.
I heated up a baguette from the freezer and enjoyed the leftovers for days.
On Tuesday, I deposited the rest of the beans into my food processor, added a healthy dose of garlic, olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and the juice from half a lemon to make a dip for the remaining baguette.
On Wednesday, I caramelized a couple of onions in a skillet with olive oil and dried thyme, added garlic for good measure and rounded it out with a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar, which is always worth it.
That concoction is good enough to star atop crostini or a sheet of pastry dough, especially if you crown the toppings with shaved parmesan.
But I decided to throw all of that goodness into the bottom of my slow cooker because I had a sirloin roast thawing in the fridge and wanted a flavourful base for it. I seared all sides of the seasoned roast (coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper) to give it a golden brown hue then placed it atop the onions. I added 1.5 cups of water (wanting to preserve my frozen stock and being completely out of red and white wine), a chunky sprig of dried thyme, and bay leaves.
Six hours later, the roast was tender and falling apart at the seams and ready to eat with a side of roasted sweet potatoes that had been tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper.
Whenever I do a roast like that, half the fun is in the leftovers. I'll take flour tortillas, which I always have on hand because I do subscribe to the joys of a well-filled tortilla, and turn it into enchiladas topped with grated cheddar, plain yogurt (sour cream for purists and those still lucky enough not to have to watch their weight), green onions and, if I have the ingredients on hand, I'll whip up a quick homemade pico de gallo, which I make without chiles.
The third round of leftovers gets piled into a garlic bread loaf (I always keep several in the freezer and they make the best base for sandwiches).
Last, but not least, I took the leftover half can of tomatoes from the soup earlier this week and combined it with the leftover chicken stock, a head of roasted garlic, salt, pepper and fresh basil to make a soup that ultimately got pureed in my food processor (the best kitchen invention ever) and topped with plain yogurt and chives from my garden (the first gift of spring!).
Thanks to the goodness in my pantry and freezer, I felt rich on a week when my bank account told me otherwise.