Quinoa-Avocado Salad with Black Beans and Sardines

Cleaning and Stocking the Pantry for Spring

Take a look inside your kitchen cupboard. If you find a few mini-Snickers packages left over from last Halloween or the grain bars or pretzels are several weeks past the sell-by date, it’s time for a purge.

We used to call it Spring Cleaning, but that makes it sound overwhelming. So let’s just stick with purge, which signals something quicker, easier, more manageable.

A purge can be emotional therapy, the symbol of a fresh start. And although you usually end up throwing out what you once thought was good food, it can also provide lessons in economy and sound health. Keep a pad nearby and make a list of those items you never – or only rarely – used so you know to avoid them when you shop next. Read the labels. If a food contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup or a load of preservatives, stabilizers and other additives, you might want to reconsider another purchase. Consider the needless, calorie-laden foods you may have bought on impulse or when you shopped hungry, so you can remember to skip those on your next trip to the market.

Begin a purge by removing all items from a cabinet. Wipe down the shelves with a damp cloth and let them dry completely before putting any food back.

Go through each food item and decide which are keepers and which should be discarded. If you have unopened packages of food that are still fresh but you won’t be using, donate them to a food bank or homeless shelter.

Check opened packages of flour, crackers, pasta, matzo, breadcrumbs and similar items. Grains, particularly whole-wheat flour, deteriorate easily; if they have a leather or cardboard-like off odor, toss them out. For longer storage in the future, keep these foods in airtight plastic containers with sturdy, stay-on lids. Use up still-good leftovers that you’ve had for awhile: make oatmeal cookies, matzo brei, baked fish and vegetables with a gratin-crumb crust, chocolate cake, couscous salad, rice pilaf.

Discard dried herbs and spices that have a dusty smell or are over one year old. After about a year, with some exceptions, they’ve lost their potency and their ability to flavor food. Ground cinnamon, whole cloves, cardamom pods, coriander, allspice berries and peppercorns are probably still fine – you’ll be able to tell by whether the scent seems vibrant or not. Store herbs and spices in small, airtight containers. Baking powder should also be replaced after a year, but baking soda can last longer if kept in an airtight container. If you’ve kept it in its box, discard and replace.

Nuts don’t keep well in a cabinet. They become rancid quickly once the package has been opened and even unopened packages may be stale in a few months. To get the most for your money, stock newly purchased packaged nuts in the refrigerator or freezer; opened tins of nuts should be refrigerated. Commercial peanut butter may have a long shelf life in a cabinet but to maintain flavor, keep open jars in the refrigerator; natural peanut butter requires refrigeration.

Check cans for bulging; dump these. Use up the older canned items. Make tomato sauce and freeze it for future use; puree chickpeas to make homemade hummus; mix kidney beans with frozen corn and cooked rice to create a vegetarian casserole or salad; combine canned stock with fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and legumes to make a dinner soup; make tuna melts for dinner one night or cook a from-scratch tuna casserole. Restock newer canned items; they can come in handy for quick dinners, salads and sandwiches.

Before you put anything back, group the food into categories and make the best use of your space by putting most-used items at easy-to-reach levels, the others on the top shelves. Consider buying new storage containers, durable ones that you find pleasant looking and that aren’t too heavy to lift out again and again. Ceramic canisters may look lovely on a counter, but aren’t suitable for shelves. If you keep items like flour and sugar hidden away, put them in plastic containers. Square and rectangle containers are more efficient for storage than round ones. Cabinet lazy-susans can be helpful in corners.

Before you restock your pantry with new stuff, make a list of what you need to avoid impulse purchases. Eat before you shop. A well-stocked pantry will help you get tasty, interesting dinners to the table quickly and easily. You can save money too, by keeping most shopping trips for fresh and perishable items only.

Some suggestions for your pantry:

Canned garbanzo beans plus white. black and kidney beans, for salad, soup, casseroles, hummus

A variety of pasta, egg noodles and grains (farro, quinoa, barley, bulgur wheat, etc.) for main courses and side dishes, pilafs, salads

Canned tomatoes for sauce, salsa, casseroles, braised dishes, topping for baked fish or chicken

Olive oil and vegetable oil for cooking, baking, salad dressings, marinades

Wine vinegar, Balsamic vinegar, for salad, sauces

Canned tuna, salmon and sardines for casseroles, sandwiches, salads; anchovies for flavoring salads, pasta dishes, etc.

Baking supplies: flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, chocolate chips, raisins

Jam for baking and sandwiches

Crackers for snacking and hors d’oeuvre

Cereals such as oats for baking and breakfast

Herbs and spices for seasoning food and baked goods; salt, peppercorns, paprika, thyme, oregano, curry powder, chili powder, powdered mustard, ground ginger, whole nutmegs (and grater) and ground cinnamon are good starters

Condiments for flavoring: prepared mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce

Bread Crumbs for coating food, adding a crisp layer to baked gratins

Nuts for snacking and baking

Peanut butter, jarred spaghetti sauce, canned stock (vegetable, chicken, beef)