Block 11–12 Shopping List — Vegetables & Plant-Forward Cooking

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How to use this list: Shop once at the start of Block 11. The lacto-ferment (sauerkraut) starts on Block 12 with ingredients you'll already have. Items marked 🥬 FRESH should be selected for peak quality — buy the best-looking specimens at the market.

🥬 Produce (Block 11)

[ ] Asparagus — 1 lb (thin to medium; not thick)
[ ] Haricots verts (French green beans) — ½ lb, or use regular green beans
[ ] Broccolini — 1 bunch
[ ] Carrots — 6–8 medium (not baby cut)
[ ] Cauliflower — 1 large head
[ ] Golden beets — 1 bunch (about 4)
[ ] Brussels sprouts — 1 lb
[ ] Green or Savoy cabbage — 1 large head (will also use for sauerkraut)
[ ] Eggplant — 2 medium globe or 4 Japanese
[ ] Zucchini — 2 medium
[ ] Scallions — 2 bunches
[ ] Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange) — 2 of each for Block 12 stuffed peppers
[ ] Celery root (celeriac) — 1 large (biggest one you can find)
[ ] Parsnips — 1 lb
[ ] Garlic — 2 bulbs (roasting a whole head)
[ ] Lemons — 5–6

🥬 Produce (Block 12)

[ ] Romaine lettuce — 2 heads (for Caesar)
[ ] Mixed mushrooms — 2 lbs (cremini + shiitake + oyster or king oyster)
[ ] Spinach or kale — 2 large bunches
[ ] Red onions — 3–4 (pickling + regular use)
[ ] Jalapeños — 4 (pickling)
[ ] Fresh rosemary — 1 bunch
[ ] Fresh thyme — 1 bunch
[ ] Fresh parsley — 1 large bunch
[ ] Fresh mint — 1 bunch

🧄 Pantry

[ ] Extra-virgin olive oil (good one — you'll taste it)
[ ] Neutral oil (grapeseed or vegetable) — for high-heat roasting
[ ] Unsalted butter — 2 sticks
[ ] Diamond Crystal kosher salt
[ ] Sliced almonds — ¼ cup (toasted for asparagus)
[ ] Tahini — ½ cup
[ ] White miso paste — 2–3 tbsp
[ ] Toasted sesame oil — 2 tbsp
[ ] Fish sauce — 2 tbsp (for Brussels sprouts)
[ ] Anchovy fillets — 1 tin (Caesar dressing + bean braising)
[ ] Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
[ ] Worcestershire sauce — 1 tsp (Caesar)
[ ] Smoked paprika — 1 tsp (crispy chickpeas)
[ ] Red pepper flakes — 1 tsp
[ ] Capers — 1 small jar
[ ] Whole black peppercorns
[ ] Bay leaves — 4–5
[ ] Pistachios — ¼ cup (Block 11 roasted beet salad with whipped feta and pistachios)

🫙 Canned / Dried Goods

[ ] Dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern) — 1 lb (soak night before Block 12)
[ ] Dried or canned chickpeas — 1 can (or 1 cup dried)
[ ] Farro or barley — 1 cup (stuffing for peppers)
[ ] Canned whole peeled tomatoes — 1 can (28 oz, for stuffed pepper sauce)
[ ] Good chicken stock or vegetable stock — 48 oz (beans, purées)
[ ] Day-old bread or sourdough — half a loaf (croutons)
[ ] Red wine — 1 bottle (Block 12 mushroom bourguignon)
[ ] Jasmine or long-grain white rice — 2 cups (Block 11 — serve with Brussels sprouts + charred cabbage)

🧀 Dairy / Eggs

[ ] Parmesan — 4 oz, block (grate your own; not pre-grated)
[ ] Egg yolks — 2 (Caesar dressing; raw, so use good eggs)
[ ] Heavy cream — ½ cup (purées, optional)
[ ] Feta — 4 oz (roasted beet salad, Block 11)
[ ] Ricotta or fresh goat cheese — 4 oz (optional, stuffed peppers)
[ ] Yukon Gold potatoes — 1.5 lbs (Block 12 — creamy mashed potatoes as the base for mushroom bourguignon)

🥩 Protein (Optional — all proteins in this block are supplementary)

[ ] Chicken thighs — 4 (for sheet pan ; skip if cooking vegetarian)
[ ] Duck breast or scallops — 2 portions (Lab 2 Two Purées optional / purée protein)
[ ] Eggs — 1 dozen (poached for bean toast, boiled for salads)

🍶 Acids / Vinegars

[ ] Red wine vinegar — ½ cup (pickled red onions + dressing)
[ ] White wine vinegar — ½ cup (pickled jalapeños and carrots)
[ ] Apple cider vinegar — ¼ cup (general use)
[ ] Dijon mustard — 1 small jar

🛒 Fermentation (Block 12)

You'll already have green cabbage and salt from the list above. You only need a clean, wide-mouth glass jar (at least 1 quart) and patience.

[ ] Wide-mouth glass jar — 1-quart or half-gallon (mason jar with loose lid)
[ ] Diamond Crystal kosher salt (already on list)
[ ] Green or Savoy cabbage (already on list)

🧊 Equipment Notes for This Block

Sheet pan(s) with a rim — you want real space. If you only have one sheet pan, cook in shifts.
Cast iron skillet — essential for charred cabbage and mushrooms
Fine mesh strainer — needed for silky purées
High-speed blender — a Vitamix-type produces better purées than a food processor; use what you have
Ice bath bowl — large bowl + ice + water for shocking
Knife + board — heavy fabrication this week (you already have this)
Wide-mouth mason jar — for sauerkraut