apps_base_data_bag_item.json

{
  "id": "base",
  "packages": { 
                "ruby1.8-dev": "",
                "swig": "",
                "libssl-dev": "",
                "git-core": "",
                "tmux": "",
                "sysstat": "",
                "tcpdump": "",
                "tshark": "",
                "atool": "",
                "slay": "",
                "mercurial": ""
              }
}

base_recipe.rb

base = data_bag_item(:apps, 'base')

base['packages'].each do |p,v|
  package p do
    action :install
    version v if v && v.length > 0
  end
end