Picking up some fresh wines for summer is in the bag – or shopping cart, actually – as supermarkets get in touch with their inner sommeliers.•Freeze soup in a muffin tin for easy-to-use servings that won’t take up much space. Place the pan in an inch of hot water to loosen the frozen rounds and use a paring knife to pry them out. Store them in a resealable freezer bag.
•The only way to truly know if a jar of spices or dried herbs is fresh is by tasting the contents. If it’s not appetizing, it’s not worth adding to your dish.
•Stop tossing out leftover tomato paste. Use a can opener to open the can on both ends, and then push the paste out in a roll. Freeze the roll in a resealable plastic bag.
•Use the cut end of a halved lemon to clean a cutting board. For tougher stains, sprinkle with some coarse salt to scrub the board clean.
•Sign up for your local farmers’-market newsletter to learn about upcoming farm stands and what’s in season. Use the information to plan meals and draw up a shopping list.
•Eliminate static cling in plastic wrap by storing the wrap in the freezer. Even a few minutes will help before tackling a pile of leftovers.
•When you need minced garlic, run a big batch through the food processor so that you can freeze the extras in ice-cube trays. Just pop them out once frozen and store them in a freezer bag or container.
