Splendid Provisions

Splendid Provisions

JTMancuso

www.jtmancuso.com

Stock from Scraps

Don’t throw those vegetable scraps away! Make a

delicious, nutritious vegetable stock.

Making vegetable stock is easy. The basic recipe can be adjusted based on ingredients. I always sauté some garlic and about ½ cup of whatever other vegetable (onion, carrot, celery, scallion, leeks, sweet potato) I have in a little olive oil first. This adds extra flavor and richness to the stock; but you can omit this step.

Wash and dry vegetables. Before you start to cut and chop, place a baking sheet close by. Make sure it fits in the freezer and there’s a flat surface for the baking sheet to sit on.

As you prepare the vegetables, toss any bruised or visually unappealing pieces in the compost bin. (Think of all the wonderful free fertilizer you’ll have next year.) Place the scraps—mushroom stems, broccoli stalks, cabbage cores, celery leaves, tomato stem ends, fresh herb stems, and other bits and pieces—in a single layer on the baking sheet. Don’t crowd the pieces. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and when the pieces are frozen, remove from baking sheet and transfer to freezer bags or stainless steel freezer containers.

Use a large pot—at least 10 quarts. Let the stock simmer for a few hours, then let it sit for several hours to cool. Have containers ready to fill. (I use 16-ounce glass canning jars for freezing stock, and one-quart jars for stock that goes directly into the refrigerator.) To strain, place a large wire mesh strainer over a one-quart container with a spout (I use a large measuring cup). Pour vegetable broth through mesh strainer into container. Press down on vegetables to extract all broth. Pour broth into storage containers.

Vegetable Stock

4 cloves garlic, sliced

½ cup fresh vegetables, sliced or diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 5 pounds frozen vegetable scraps

8 to 10 quarts water (depending on size of pot)

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté garlic and vegetables in olive oil about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable scraps, pour in water, and sprinkle with peppercorns. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer, covered, for two hours, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, let sit, covered, for about two hours. Strain and pour into storage containers. Makes about 8 quarts.

New!

Italian cooking tips and recipes.

Text Box: Using Vegetable Stock Cook about ½ cup of dried mushroom tortellini in 1 quart of stock. Add 1 to 2 cups of frozen spinach. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano before serving. Use vegetable stock in place of water when cooking rice. Make a sauce by deglazing pan with vegetable broth. Melt in a tablespoon or 2 of butter before serving. If you use milk or cream when making mashed potatoes, replace half with vegetable stock. Dilute soy sauce by adding some vegetable stock. Add to frozen vegetables, instead of water, when cooking. Add a few tablespoons to thin sauces and dips.