My Cozy Fall Grocery List
All things Park Slope Co-Op, plus the brands, snacks, and little luxuries I keep on repeat so you never get bored in the kitchen
Hey everybody and welcome to a new week, which means it’s time for the Monday food note. I spent the weekend with family in Connecticut, where Jack and I went out for my nephew’s baptism! I also started the process of wedding dress shopping which was so exciting! I still have a few appointments here in New York City, but I first wanted to try a few local spots because hey, you never know—plus, my mom said some local brides had been having luck at smaller bridal shops outside the city. We went to this place in Westport, Conn, which has been open since 1970. Any business that has survived six financial crises, 11 presidencies, and a total shift in the wedding industry, I’d say, is worthy of checking out, and worthy it was. I obviously can’t show you anything yet, but here is a photo of one of my favorite spots near where I grew up: the estuary. The colors were incredible along the coastline this weekend, and I’m storing the memories with me all week long.
Because we were out of town this weekend, I missed my usual Sunday routine which is grocery shopping here in Brooklyn. I figured as an ode to the best day of the week (I love grocery shopping and I love Sundays), I’d share my specific grocery list each season so you can make the most of all the incredible produce and pantry staples that come with it.
Where do I get my groceries in Brooklyn?
I’m a member of the famed Park Slope Co-Op, which has also been around since the 70s. I’ve been a member since 2023, and that means for the last ~3 years, I’ve been completing an unpaid two hour and fourty-five minute shift in order to earn the privilege of shopping there. Apparently there’s a pretty long waiting list to join right now, but anyone can join and shop there, in exchange for your time and work every 6 weeks (Some members get strategic and load up their shifts over holiday weekends—working straight through Columbus Day Weekend so they’re set for the year and can fully relax come summer).
At the Co-Op, you’ll find lots of fresh baked goods, bulk items, and well-sourced fruits and vegetables from rockin’ local farms for prices that are not marked up since it’s mostly wholesale and nobody is “profiting”.
I make one stop there, once a week as it’s about a 25 minute drive away. It’s not always an easy experience shopping there; the aisles are thin and crowded, people can be grumpy, and there is a bit of tension at times from politics. But honestly, I still love it. They have local ginger from Massachusetts in the fall, rhubarb in the spring, 16 types of apples, Vermont blueberries, wild garlic scapes, ramps, nettles, dandelion greens, 18 types of black beans. It’s a food and seasonal lover’s heaven! Once you get the Co-op access and community (and work a shift cutting cheeses or sorting bulk tea), it’s hard to shop anywhere else! Each week, I supplement my Co-op stop with an order from Thrive Market for harder-to-find pantry items so that I don’t need to run to six different stores to find a specific hot sauce. (BTW, not getting to paid to say this here *but* Thrive is having a huge October sale right now (25% off select items) and is offering an extra 30% off your first order + a free gift to my followers on IG so you might want to sign up if it’s been on your maybe-list! Use my link!) Paid subscribers will get to see what my Thrive must-haves are at the bonus section of this newsletter!
Grocery shopping is a favorite activity of mine. I love the process of adding items throughout the week, using up the last of something, then replacing it. It’s just so satisfying. Now that you know where I grocery shop, below is how I organize my list and what’s on it! Plus! A few fun bonuses for paid subscribers—you’ll get my easy-to-use Notion grocery list organizer (the exact one I use every week), along with all my favorite pantry items and brands for things like snacks, cereals, N/A spritzy apple drinks, olive oils, and tinned fish so you can fill your cart and cozy up your fall kitchen.
Fall Grocery List
Some of these I buy weekly (produce), others are pantry staples that can last me the whole season.
Fresh produce
sweet potatoes
delicata
leeks
mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, hen of the woods, oyster)
parsley
carrots
parsnips
lacinato kale
fennel
cauliflower
baby spinach
garlic, shallots
white onions
celery
Concord grapes
pomegranate
apples
bananas
pears
Grains
wheat berries
sourdough pasta (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
millet
oats
popcorn kernels
pasta (fusilli, gnocchi, bucatini)
pearled couscous
cereal (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
crackers (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
Meat
ground beef
ground turkey
chicken thighs
anchovies
Dairy
brie
salted butter
parmesan
greek yogurt
whole milk
goat cheese
heavy cream
raw cultured cheddar
Other
red lentils
white beans - we fly through these in the winter, I cook two batches per week
chickpeas
tinned fish (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
kimchi
dried figs
raw almonds
pumpkin seeds
rosemary oil
spices (turmeric, dried rosemary, dried garlic chips)
nutritional yeast
canned tomatoes (diced, whole, fire roasted, paste, drained, all of them!)
canned pumpkin
canned green chiles
good olive oil (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
fun special sober/healthy drinks! (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
raw honey
snacks (I share my recs for paid subscribers below)
Paid subscriber bonus! <3
Access to my Notion grocery list template for your own personal use to make grocery shopping easy and stress-free, organized by grocery area
a list of 10 of my favorite snacks, pastas, pantry items and beverages you can find at your local shop or online!
If you’re not familiar with Notion, it’s a free all-in-one digital workspace that I use for organizing my (entire) life. It’s sooo easy to use and I manage everything on it: my content schedule, grocery list, wedding planning, travel calendar, movie list, even my book-writing process (and so much more!)
