Vegetable Stock: Take 2

In honor of Earth Day (April 22), Favorite Recipes from the Mouse House is offering a series of recipes incorporating food that is usually discarded. I'm starting by recycling my recipe for vegetable stock originally published on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Vegetable Stock

1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.

2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.

3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.

3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.

4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.

Soup Week Continues: Vegetable Stock

Let's start with the basics: Nancy’s Vegetable Stock


I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.

I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.

Vegetable Stock

1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.

2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.

3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.

3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.

4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.

For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe…

Vegetable Stock

20 Cups
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bunch parsley stems
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander.
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.

It's Soup Week: Rustic Chicken Stew

Rustic Chicken Stew: make it in your crock pot.

With so many of my friends and co-workers reporting that they are sick, I’m declaring this week ‘Soup Week.’ Chicken soup is a universal remedy for many ailments; unless you live with someone willing to make you homemade soup or make a run to the nearest deli, often your only option is canned soup.

This week’s soup recipes are simple to make. On Sundays I often make soup, keeping half of it to eat during the week and freezing the other half as individual portions. This habit ‘saves’ me from eating peanut butter and crackers on those nights when I arrive home from work hungry and don’t feel like cooking. It also lets me share my homemade soup with sick friends, new mothers, or others who may not be up for cooking, yet want to eat healthy. Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch thick slices
2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cans (14 ounces each) fat free chicken broth
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or powder)
½ tsp black pepper

Optional:
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
Any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip
1 14-ounce can white beans
8 ounces mushrooms, halved

1. Combine the chicken, onions, carrots, potatoes, and broth in the crock pot (if using other fresh vegetables, add at this time).
2. Stir in the celery seed, thyme, pepper, mushrooms, and corn.
3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender, 7 to 9 hours or on high, 4 to 6 hours.
4. Stir in the peas and cook until they are done, 15 to 30 minutes.

Creamy Carrot Parsnip Soup: Third Time's a Charm...

Growing up we always had fresh vegetables. We had a garden, as did my grandparents so many of the vegetables on our table where ones we had grown ourselves. My favorites have always included root and other vegetables I associate with fall: fresh from the ground carrots, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and parsnips; butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.

Today, from June to December, most of my fruits and vegetables come via my membership in the Farm Direct Coop, a local community supported agriculture group. Each Thursday I drive to the pick up spot and discover which produce is ripe that week. The days when my basket is filled with kale, swiss chard, arugula, and bok choy make for challenging menu planning, but these choices are often supplemented by radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and lettuce - vegetables I find easier to plan menus around. Then in the fall, my favorites tend to be among the choices and I spend Sunday afternoons cooking, often making soup or roasting vegetables.

Today's recipe for Carrot Parsnip soup is new to me: I've only made it three times. The first time I loved it, the second time it was rather tasteless, and today - perfect. The difference? Today I followed the recipe exactly. I advise you do the same. The taste will be worth it.

Creamy Carrot Parsnip Soup*


Medium crock pot: makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons rice
1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
1 pound parsnips, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ground walnuts

Combine the rice, carrots, parsnips, vegetable broth, and water in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, about 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

Using a hand held blender, puree the vegetables. (Or transfer vegetables to a regular blender, then return to the crock pot.) Stir in the milk and pepper. Heat the soup until hot, about 5 to 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle each bowl with walnuts.

* Recipe from the Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson.

So how did I improvise? The first time I made the soup I used skim milk rather than evaporated and I believe I cut back on the water. The second time, I didn't pay attention to the recipe and used more parsnips than carrots and put skim milk into the crock pot with the raw vegetables. The soup was tasteless: I made it edible by adding half and half each time I heated up a bowl...

Italian Vegetable Stew

Earlier this week I was feeling the pressure of a refrigerator full of vegetables, filling my brain with the need to use them rather than let soften and rot only to be tossed in the compost pile. Fortunately, I had clipped a recipe for Italian Vegetable Stew from the October 14, 2009 issue of The Boston Globe. So, last night I pulled all of my aging vegetables out of the refrigerator, found a can of black beans in the pantry (for protein) and set about making this soup. I cut the vegetables a bit chunkier than the recipe called for as I like a hearty stew.

Italian Vegetable Stew

Serves: 6
Cook time: 70 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1” cubes
½ cup water
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (reserve juice)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 3/4” pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
Italian spices
¾ cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
1 ¼ lb zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
1 can white or garbanzo beans (I used black as that is what I had)
Optional: shaved parmesan cheese for garnish.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are pale golden.

Add the eggplant and the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the eggplant softens.

Stir in the tomatoes and their juices with the bell peppers, salt, pepper, and Italian spices. Lower the heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the green beans for 5 minutes or until tender but still crisp. With slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
Add the zucchini to the green bean water. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender but still crisp. With slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with the green beans.

Add the potatoes to the vegetable water. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender.

Add the beans, zucchini, and potatoes to the eggplant mixture. Add the black or garbanzo beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

*Adapted from a recipe in The Boston Globe, October 14, 2009 which was adapted from Gourmet, October 2009

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup

This is one of my favorite soups: both to eat and to make. As a member of the Farm Direct Co-op, a local community supported agriculture program, from June through November my refrigerator and pantry are filled with locally grown fruits and vegetables. With a spouse who isn't a huge vegetable fan and daughters who live far away, I have found soups to be a great way to use whatever vegetables I receive in a week while at the same time, providing me with quick meals that I can heat up during a busy work week.

I often make this recipe up to the point where the roasted vegetables are pureed and combined, freezing the puree as individual portions. When I'm ready to eat it, I defrost the puree, add the water, and heat. When my daughter, a vegetarian visits, she takes the frozen puree back to New York with her on the bus.

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup*

Serves: 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

3 pounds tomatoes (about 12), chopped
½ pound carrots, cut into ¾” pieces
10 garlic cloves
4 Tbsp. olive oil
Course salt and ground pepper
1 large eggplant (1 ½ pounds), cut into ¾” chunks (I often use 3 narrow Japanese eggplant)
1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. curry powder
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Toasted rustic bread, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°, with racks on top and bottom. In bowl, toss together tomatoes, carrots, garlic, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Spread in a rectangular baking pan or rimmed cookie sheet (I often coat the pan with a light spray of cooking oil before adding the vegetables.)

In another bowl, toss together eggplant, chickpeas, curry powder, remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Spread in single layer in second roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet. Place both sheets in oven (tomato mixture on top rack). Roast until tender, tossing mixtures halfway through, about 45 minutes.

Purée tomato mixture (including juices) in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large pot. Stir in eggplant mixture; thin with 3 to 4 cups water.

Bring to simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro; garnish with bread, if desired.

* Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart's Food Magazine