Golden Vegetable Stock Recipes

Steps:

• Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember, the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor.
• Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
• Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl toss the oil with onions, carrots, garlic, leeks and arrange them in a roasting pan.
• Place pan in oven and roast, stirring once, for 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
• In a large saucepan or stock pot combine the roasted vegetables with carrot tops, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, peppercorns, clove and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until the broth is reduced to about 8 cups. Strain.
• Additions for Summer Stock: summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, corn cobs, marjoram, oregano, basil.
• Instead of first roasting vegetables, saute them over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown. Complete recipe as above.
• Additions for Winter Stock: celery root, parsley root, dried sage, mushrooms (both dried or 1 pound fresh).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Toss together mushrooms, shallots, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and thyme sprigs, garlic, and oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a tall narrow 6-quart stockpot. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Transfer to stockpot and add bay leaves, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Pour through a large fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then season with salt and pepper. Skim off fat.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Toss vegetables, garlic, and herbs with oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute.
• Transfer vegetables with juices to a 4-quart pot. Add water, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, 45 minutes. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.

Steps:

• Make sure all the veggies are clean, but DO NOT PEEL any of them. Cut them into 1-1/2 inch (or smaller) chunks, add water, and cook on low heat overnight in the crockpot.
• Cool and drain; discard veggies.