Obviously, the girls have been taking some pleasure in shooting photographs of everything around us, mostly the reds and yellows of the season. This was an image that let me play for a solid half hour. For a writer, photos provide a garden full of color for the off-season, no words required.
I am also on a cooking streak. Last winter, I spent endless hours perfecting a chicken stock I can make and save easily. This year, I seem to be wanting the Ultimate Vegetable Stock. Today, I have a lot of necessary but tedious work to do, and it is a cloudy day, promising snow. To feel better about the boring tasks awaiting me, I gave myself permission to cook while I work. This morning I’m adapting a recipe from the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian Cookbook.
Roasted Vegetable Stock
In the oven at the moment are these vegetables, filling house with a desperately heavenly aroma:
1 large russet potato, washed and cut into cubes
1 large yam, also washed and cubed (don’t bother to peel anything–there are lots of nutrients in the skins)
1 head of garlic, with the top lopped off
Two handfuls of baby carrots (mainly because that is what I found in the crisper)
1 large sweet onion, cut into eighths (I do peel onions, don’t ask me why)
7 or 8 baby orange, red and yellow sweet peppers
1 small zucchini, cut into eighths
If you like you can mushrooms, parsely, winter squashes (I meant to add butternut squash, but forgot).
They’re now roasting for about an hour, then they all go into the crockpot with:
A handful of celery tops saved for stocks
10-15 peppercorns
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
A couple of sprigs fresh thyme and sage leaves
Water to cover.
Cook for most of the afternoon. Freeze into ice cubes for easy use later.
Anyone else have a great vegetable stock recipe to share? I have a vegetarian coming home at Christmas.
I didn’t realize at all that this is how you make vegetable stock. I will have to try this, maybe this weekend. I love making a very easy vegetable soup — just a few veggies + veggie bouillon cube + baked vegetarian curry wontons (I found these at Whole Foods, soooo good!). I bet it would taste even more amazing if I used real vegetable stock ;P
You don’t have to roast them, HB. You can just throw it all into a pot and let them brew for an hour or two.
FWIW, I found the stock a little dull and added some sundried tomatoes. It would also be better maybe to let it cook on the stove.
Barbara, yum! I’ve never tried roasting the veggies first!
Unless you need your stock to be vegan, you might also try adding rinds from really good parmesan. When you get to the end of your parm, just stick the rind into a baggie and into the freezer, and then next time you make veggie stock, drop it in along with the veggies when you get the water boiling. I also add whole allspice berries, a handful of parsley, and a couple of bay leaves.
I’ve never tried making stock in the crockpot — did it get to a boil?
Mmmmm, great idea on the rinds, Val.
The stock did boil, and then simmered nicely in the crockpot, but I’m not sure I liked it as well. I wanted to see if it would work, and it was fine, but not as great as on the stove. Worth a try.
If you’re looking for some “killer” soup recipes with complex flavors–ironic, because they’re also vegan–I can highly recommend Dreena Burton’s “Vive le Vegan”.
Jan, thanks for the link. That looks terrific.