Many foods can be safely stored at room temperature (see also the pantry page), and some actually do much better on the countertop than in the fridge.
baking supplies
If you have the counter space and some attractive cannisters, most dried spices and herbs, flours and sugars are handy to have close to hand. Make sure that they are not exposed to heat or sunlight, so near the stove or oven and by a sunny window are not good options.
fruits
Of all the available seasonal and local foods, fruit and vegetables prove over and over again the difference between eating a SOLE food diet and one filled with non-seasonal, non-local items. Those grocery store peaches from another hemisphere may look appetizing in the middle of the winter, but they are so often an enormous disappointment - nothing like a real peach in flavor or texture! The wait for peach season to may seem interminable, but how incredibly sweet, fragrant, and peach-flavored those fruits are when they arrive. The season may not be long, but between freezing some for use in the winter months and simply gorging on the fresh ones, we're often ready for the end of the season and the anticipation of switching to apples....
Very few fruits are well served by being refrigerated unless you are trying to slow down their ripening process (berries and grapes are an exception). And keeping a bowl of seasonal, local fruit on the counter in plain sight is a great reminder to eat more fruit! Most local, seasonal fruit will finish ripening nicely and last up to a week on the counter - so different from conventionally grown, harvested and shipped kinds, which are often picked so green that it seems they never will ripen, and then they go from ripe to rotten in the space of 24 hours! I was amazed to find farmers' market fruit in California that would last 2 weeks unrefrigerated: further proof that most conventional store fruit has already spent at least a week or more in transit.
Some fruits are best purchased marginally green so that they don't get bruised in their journey to your counter: stone fruits, (such as peaches and nectarines) and pears ripen easily at room temperature, and their ripening can be sped up slightly by keeping them in loosely fastened paper bags. If you find yourself with too much ripe fruit, you can transfer some to the fridge, but try to eat it within 48 hours after refrigerating.
grains
Rice, oats, quinoa, pasta...if you have these in clear cannisters on your countertop (again, away from heat and direct sunlight), you'll always have inspiration at your fingertips.
legumes
I like to have 3-4 types of legumes on hand, and in clear cannisters on the countertop (away from heat and direct sunlight), they add a homey feel and a splash of color to the kitchen. When they're in plain sight, it's easy to remember to soak some when your cooked ones are running low in the fridge.
vegetables
Eggplants tend to get soft and wrinkled in the fridge, but when bought locally and in season they last up to a week on the counter.
Garlic lasts beautifully for 2 weeks or more at room temperature in a well ventilated basket or bowl.
Squashes, both summer and winter do well on the countertop and add beautiful color to your room. Summer ones (zucchini, yellow, etc.) won't last more than a few days, though - eat them soon or refrigerate them if you need them later in the week. Winter varieties (acorn, pumpkin, butternut,...) can last for months if not in direct sunlight or near heat. Be sure to check them carefully once a week for soft spots, a sign you need to use them up ASAP!
Tomatoes (fruit? vegetable? berry?) are not well served by being refrigerated. They ripen beautifully on the counter and, when local and seasonal, will last there for up to a week or more.
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