Grocery Shopping in a Global Pandemic
In partnership with our friends at Brothers Marketplace, working hard to keep us WELL FED AND safe while we shop
It’s been more than a month since Covid-19 disrupted our day-to-day lives, and at this point we’ve done a few grocery runs. The grocery store is one of the only places we go now, and we go there as infrequently as we can, keeping ourselves and our neighbors safe by staying home. The panicked hoarding behaviors that led to runs on toilet paper, flour and yeast in the early days of the pandemic have largely subsided, but we’ve developed new habits: regrown scallions, reawakened sourdough, renewed interest in baking generally.
Home is where the kitchen is, and we’re cooking more than ever. We need more food and we need to shop strategically. We’re all new to this, adjusting to the new reality as best we can and making mistakes as we go, learning lessons along the way.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
Cook down your fridge.
We’ve got tons of suggestions for using up all your scraps and nubs and rinds and ends. Take stock of what’s lurking at the bottom of the crisper and make fritters, fried rice or soup. Taco it up. You may get another meal or two out of what you’ve got before you need to head to the store.
Check in on your shop.
Hours and policies are in flux; check their website or social media. All grocery stores are mandated to reserve at least an hour for elderly and immune-compromised shoppers and many are closing early to deep-clean each day. Spare yourself the frustration of a fruitless excursion and take a second to confirm that all systems are go.
Go solo.
It’s tempting to bring your kids/ housemates/ partner along; after all, this is your one opportunity to do a thing together! But even with store occupancy limited to 40 percent, maintaining safe distance can be a tricky and anxiety-provoking dance. More people in the store also slows the process down, creating longer lines outside. If leaving folks at home is an option, leave them at home.
Wear a mask.
It’s second nature for most of us now. But don’t forget it. If you’ve got pocket hand sanitizer, bring that, too.
Be prepared to wait outside
The lines look long at times, with six feet of distance between each masked customer, but they move quickly. Still, you may not be popping into the store the way you used to. Dress for the weather. A cool breeze can make a 20-minute wait feel significantly longer.
Leave your reusable bags at home.
Yes, I am the person who told you to remember them just a few months ago. But those were different times. Reusable bags are banned for now to protect workers, and the 10 cent charge, where it existed, has been waived.
Ditto your recycling.
If your shop has a recycling center; it’s closed for now.
Don’t press the avocados.
Or pick up a jar of jam to check the sugar content, or grab a tub of yogurt from the back to get the best sell-by date. You touch, you buy. This is for your safety, for the safety of the front line workers stocking your shelves and for your fellow customers. We’re getting in and out as quickly as we can, and if we grab the wrong thing, we’ll learn how to make it the right thing.
Write a paper list.
Divide it by section of the store and review it with the rest of your household before you go. This way you can leave your phone in your pocket and not touch it at all while you’re shopping. I’ve been folding a sheet of paper into quarters and using each for a section of the store, starting with produce—closest to the store entrance—and taking it from there. By now we’ve all learned that it’s more of a wish list than a list; we’ve got to be more flexible than we’re used to and ready to make substitutions. If you’ve previously lacked the confidence to go off-recipe, the pandemic will force your hand. So…
Cook without a recipe.
If you can get the ingredients (or most of them), make your comfort recipes. If you’ve got the ingredients and the time, try a project. But we’re cooking so much now, every meal can’t be an event. Make a big pot of lentils, a jar of vinaigrette and a tray of roasted root vegetables. Serve them over greens with a little fresh cheese or under a fried egg and a handful of soft herbs. Is it breakfast? Is it lunch? Does it even matter anymore?
The future feels particularly hard to parse now, but one thing is certain: We are going to come out of this as braver, nimbler cooks and savvier shoppers.
We’re all a little wound up now. Be vigilant at the store. In the kitchen, let’s get loose.
We all need onions and garlic and lemons and whatever the household likes to snack on—Here are a few suggestions to build out your list. click on the links for related recipes.
Produce
Spinach: Great raw or cooked, or just stirred into a sauce or soup at the last minute.
Herbs: A few kinds, they’ll bring a little freshness to your pantry staple meals; parsley is particularly versatile.
Root vegetables: They last forever; roast a big tray or make a soup. Try making a savory tart, gratin or add them to salad.
Cabbage: So versatile—two cabbages can give you a week of dinners.
Dairy
Greek Yogurt: a marinade, a salad dressing, a nacho topping, a sweet treat. It can do anything.
Here are some ways to use up the dairy you’ve bought from our friends at Food Waste Feast… or try your hand at making your own yogurt before the milk goes bad—the Instant Pot is your friend here.
Freezer
Puff pastry: You can tuck just about any fruit, cheese or vegetable into puff pastry and it’s a party.
Peas: Most of these recipes can be made with frozen peas when fresh aren’t easily available; blending frozen peas with butter and salt makes a fine sauce for fish or chicken in a pinch.
Corn: Frozen corn stands in for fresh easily, especially in a soup, a bisque or chowder (leave out the clams if you have to or use canned if you’ve got them).
Dry Goods
Dried Beans: It’s now or never. You know you bought some in the early days. Use them!
Flour and alternative flours: Chickpea flour is particularly versatile. Try this recipe for socca, a Mediterranean chickpea flour pancake, from David Lebovitz.
Alternate Grains: Freekeh is delicious, and this eggplant-freekah-chickpea salad with tahini dressing from Bob’s Red Mill will convert you.
Steel-Cut Oats: Cook up a batch of oats and serve them on the savory side, topped with eggs, mushrooms, sautéed greens, pesto or cheese. Breakfast for dinner!
Cornmeal: Polenta goes with everything; it’s lovely on its own with butter and Parmigiano, served under a stew. Or use your cornmeal for cake, jonnycakes or cookies.
