What's in Your Fridge, Karen Elgersma?

What are the staples that are always in your fridge? 

My husband makes me a cappuccino every morning and brings it to me in bed, so milk is a must. My family’s favourite mom meal is Caesar salad, so I always have a block of parmesan cheese.

What are your “indulgences”? 

Real cream! I always have a bottle of Avalon cream—I love everything about it: the old school glass bottle and the way it pours, but mostly the sheer luxury of using cream in any dish makes me happy. I also always have a bottle of Charme de L'île in my fridge. I love opening the fridge door and seeing a bottle of local bubbles!

What’s in your crisper? 

Farm fresh goodies: Michell’s Farm lettuce, celery, carrots, and broccoli. Hazelmere Organic Farm parsley, parsnips and leeks, and Dan’s Farm’s organic greens.

What are your must-have condiments? 

Mustard! I am obsessed with Sarah’s Staples mustard. I stock up at the North Saanich Farm Market and in the winter I buy them at Deep Cove Market. I have every flavour—my favorite is her Honey Beer and Cider mustards, and my husband must have her famous Sweet ‘N Sassy Mustard with diced jalapeno bits on almost everything.

What do you have in your fridge that might surprise someone? 

Actually, the surprise might be that I have two fridges. I love coming home from the market with loads of fresh produce and filling up my fridges with all this fresh deliciousness! I welcome the challenge of coming home from work, having no idea what to make for dinner and looking through my fridges and figuring out how to make something using all those fresh veggies—and when you have two fridges, you have a little more room to dream!