Vegetable Stock from kitchen scraps

The first recipe for homemade vegetable stock I made called for 11 whole vegetables and only yielded four cups of stock. The thought of throwing away all these perfectly good vegetables once I had cooked them weighed on my conscience so much that I tried to cook things like meatloaf or fritters to incorporate them into. I quickly realized that I had already cooked all the flavor and nutrients out of them, and that I was never going to make such a wasteful recipe ever again!

I started thinking about all the vegetable scraps I throw away each time I cook, and decided to try collecting them for vegetable stock instead. I now keep a gallon-sized storage bag in my freezer at all times and once it's full with perfectly good peelings, ends and other leftover vegetable scraps that never made it into a meal, I boil them and have something delicious.

 There are a few guidelines to know before you start your freezer bag collection.

1. Always wash your vegetables well. Since you're saving peelings, you want to be sure there's no dirt on them.
2. Save scraps that are perfectly edible, but may not be either aesthetically or texturally pleasing (such as the top end of a carrot or the exposed side of a half-used onion that has gotten dry in the fridge). Don't save anything that you wouldn't eat, like a bad spot cut out of a potato. Remember, you're looking for flavor!
3. You will want a good variety of vegetables to give your stock a complex flavor. If your freezer bag only has potato and onion scraps, it's probably not going to be the best tasting stock.
4. You don't have to chop the scraps you add to your freezer bag. Big (1-2") chunks will do and be easier to remove at the end.
5. Not every vegetable is good in a soup stock. Any cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale) should not be used. You also wouldn't want to use peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes. Root vegetables work best, in addition to some herbs. 

Vegetables I use:

• Carrots (clean peelings, ends and green tops)
• Parsnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Turnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Thin-skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold (clean peelings)
• Celery (ends and leafy tops)
• Onion and garlic (ends, no paper)
• Leeks (ends)
• Swiss Chard (the hearty stalks)
• Tender fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, savory

In addition to a 1 gallon freezer bag full of a mix of the above vegetables and herbs, you will also need:

10 cups cool water

3 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

Add frozen vegetable scraps to a large stock pot. Cover with water and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the lid and let cool. 

Scoop out cooked vegetables with a mesh strainer and gently press any excess liquid back into the pot. Once you have removed nearly all the large vegetables, pour your remaining stock through the strainer. If the stock still has small pieces of vegetable matter, line your strainer with a coffee filter and pour through again.

Either use your stock within three days or freeze it.

Choucroute Garnie (avec Biére)

Translated from French, this is Packed Sauerkraut with Beer. The idea for this recipe came from one of my favorite food/cooking shows, The Splendid Table. The host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, had a caller ask what to make with sauerkraut. My attention was piqued, having made sauerkraut the last few summers and still having a few quarts in my pantry. Lynne's suggestion was a Choucroute Garnie, a dish from the heavily German-influenced Alsace region of France, that pairs pork and potatoes with a mound of classed-up sauerkraut. I took Lynne's suggestions, along with some cues from Jacques Pépin's recipe in Food and Wine, swapped out the wine for some beer and called this our St. Patty's day dinner. There's sausage, cabbage, potatoes and beer, so I think it counts, even if it is German!

2 T. bacon grease or peanut oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh thyme
1 qt. sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 12 oz. beer
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb. beer brats
3 lbs. thin-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes), cut into 2" chunks
1/4 c. butter
1 T. dried marjoram

Ingredient notes:

• If you don't have your own homemade sauerkraut, buy some that is refrigerated in the grocery store, not the canned stuff! 
• You can use any beer, but I would choose one that you're going to want to drink with dinner. I used a flavorful pilsner. If you use a sweeter, full-bodied stout or porter, you may want to omit or cut back on the brown sugar. 
• Jacques used pork ribs in his recipe, that he coated in salt and brown sugar the night before. Next time I make this, I'm going to try that in place of the brats. Again, you would want to omit the brown sugar in place of this.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably one with a lid), melt the bacon grease over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté until onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add sauerkraut , beer, sugar, pepper and bay leaves, and stir to combine all ingredients. Once the beer begins to boil, add brats and remove from heat. Put a lid on the skillet or top it with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until brats are cooked through.

While brats are cooking, prepare potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender but not mashable. Drain potatoes and return to the pot you cooked them in. Add butter and marjoram and stir to coat.

Serve each brat on a mound of sauerkraut with potatoes on the side. Accompany with some spicy or grainy mustards and sweet pickles. 

Red Curry with Vegetables

Add a good curry paste and coconut milk to your pantry and you'll be all set to make a delicious Thai curry any time you have a bunch of vegetables you're looking to do something different with. You can use any vegetables, but the only one I always want to be sure I include (aside from the onion) is potato. Since this is a vegetarian dish, the potato makes it more filling. And it absorbs the curry sauce, reminding me a little bit of tofu.

1 1/2 cups long-grain white or brown rice

1 T. vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1-2 T. curry paste

1 small can coconut milk

1 cup water

1 cup diced carrots

1 large white potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1 crown of broccoli, chopped into florets

1 red pepper, diced

salt to taste

Rinse your rice. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups salted water to a boil and add rice. Stir and cover, reducing the heat to medium so the water slowly simmers. Let cook undisturbed (do not open the lid) for 45 minutes. Check rice and remove from heat once the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

While rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. When the rice has 25 more minutes to cook, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or with a lid. Saute onion 5 minutes or until tender but not brown. Add curry paste (amount depends on how spicy you like it) and stir until fragrant. Mix water and coconut milk and add to the pan along with carrots and potatoes (or any hearty vegetables).

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium to medium low. Cook covered for 8 minutes and then add broccoli and pepper (or other more tender vegetables). Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until tender. If using greens, like kale, Swiss chard or spinach, add those 2-3 minutes before you remove the skillet from the heat. Add salt to taste and serve over the rice.

Pesto pasta

I love to make my own pesto in the summer when my basil plants are growing faster than I can use them. I put some away in the freezer for winter to be reminded of the fresh flavors of summer. Adding some vegetables to the mix makes this a great stand-alone meal.

1 cup homemade Pesto or store-bought
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 T. olive oil

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 t. coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

freshly ground pepper

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces (fresh or frozen)

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine noodles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes (cut-sides up) in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with thyme sprigs and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender but still holding their form. Remove thyme sprigs and set aside. 

While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes. reduce heat slightly and boil potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. 

In a small saucepan, add 1/2 inch of water, green beans and a sprinkle of salt. Boil the water and steam the green beans until slightly tender (time depends on if you're using fresh or frozen). Drain excess water and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water when you drain it. Return pasta to the pot you cooked it in and add roasted tomatoes and their juices, potatoes, green beans and pesto. Stir, gradually adding enough pasta water to help the pesto coat the pasta and vegetables. Serve hot.

BEV NOTE: Pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio

Poor Man's Cabbage

After a holiday season of decadence, expense and lots of hours in the kitchen, this is just what I needed to be reminded of the joy of everyday simplicity. Leftover mashed potatoes and a head of cabbage never tasted so satisfying.

3-4 cups leftover mashed potatoes or 2 lb. baking potatoes

3 T. olive oil

1 head of cabbage, shredded

2 onions, sliced

2 carrots, shredded

Salt and pepper

Reheat mashed potatoes with milk or boil 1 lb. of peeled potatoes in salted water, mash and then add milk and butter until creamy. Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cabbage. Cook for 20 minutes stirring often to caramelize. Add carrots and cook for another 10 minutes or until soft. Add salt and pepper. Serve cabbage mixture on top of potatoes. Make it a full meal with a side of Southern Skillet Cornbread. 

BEV NOTE: A crisp pale ale or IPA adds a nice freshness to an otherwise savory meal.