Vegetable Stock

Stocks contain the fundamental building blocks for our bodies. The aroma when you walk into the kitchen when the stock has been cooking brings such great feelings. Just like warms your insides…

Simmering Stock Pot

Each type of stock has different cooking times. The reason is the density of the bones are all different, and the vegetables for vegetable stock.

Here are the stocks: Vegetable, Fish ( Fume’ ), Chicken, Turkey, Veal and Beef. Of course you can also make Pork, Lamb or any other main ingredient you want to utilize.

In the kitchen when I peel onions, carrots and trim celery I save the peeling and trimmings together in the refrigerator. When I make the stock I utilize the scraps first then make up what ever the difference is with whole produce. I do not peel the vegies. I do wash them before using. Stocks will keep in the refrigerator 7 to 10 days. You can bring them back to the boiling point and skim the foam. This will extend the shelf life. You may also freeze them. Some people freeze in ice cube trays and others in different size freezer bags ( when I do this I close the bag and lay it flat in the freezer that allows for good storage and easy thawing.

• Roasted Vegetable Stock

4 med Carrots large dice

2 Parsnips large dice

1 Rutabaga large dice

3 med. Yellow Onions ( you can use Spanish, Walla Walla or any other variety ) large dice

6 stocks of Celery large dice

6 Cloves Garlic Whole

3 Bay leaves, sprig of fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried, a few pepper corns

1/4 cup Olive Oil

In an oven pan place the carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, onions and garlic. toss them with 1/4 cup of olive oil and cover with aluminum foil place in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrease for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and put into a large pot. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of white wine ( that is have the pan hot put the wine in and using a wooden paddle scrape all of the goodness that may be stuck their ). Pour off into the pot add enough water to cover by 4″ ( inches ). Add the celery bring to a boil and skim off any foam that is there ( the foam is the impurities ). After skimming reduce the heat to simmer. Add the herbs and pepper corns. Let simmer 45 minutes. Strain the stock into an appropriate size container, either use right away or cool in a water bath with ice then refrigerate. The vegetables can be discarded or utilized for a dish. You have extracted the nutrients into the stock.