Q. Hey Jenny, I’ve heard that a box grater is a versatile gadget that can be used for much more than just grating cheese. Do you have any tips or suggestions that you could share?

A. Certainly! Try these ideas to see how your grater can help you in many different ways in the kitchen.

1. Here's a simple hack for stripping your herb sprigs: Insert a sprig into one hole on the larger side of your box grater and grip the stem from the other side. Pull the sprig through the grater and you'll have a bare stem and a bunch of leaves ready for use.

2. Grate carrots, zucchini, onions, cucumbers, or other vegetables to use in salads, slaws, and stir-fries.

3. Grate chocolate to use as a topping for desserts or to mix into baked goods.

4. If your brown sugar has dried out, use the raised spikes of your box grater and turn the brown sugar into a powder for sprinkling into your morning coffee or on your oatmeal...

5.Lightly spray your box grater with a little cooking spray as it helps with clean up later.

6. Mince garlic or ginger on the smallest holes of the box grater to add to stir fries and marinades for a burst of flavor.

7. Hold your box grater vertically when grating cheese- turn the box grater on its side and grate while it's lying flat. Once the cheese is all grated, simply grab a bowl and tip the cheese out of the grater.

8. In a hurry and don’t want to spend the time chopping onions? Get out your box grater and grate the onions right into the skillet.

9. To make egg salad, grate hard-boiled eggs directly into a bowl.

10. Try grating frozen butter directly into your flour when making pie crust.

Jenny DeVivo is on a mission to help us all cut down on food waste and to show us (and our kids!) how to make the most of what's seasonal and fresh. Got a question for Jenny? Email us!