Because 2 days is never enough.

My love of the handmade or home cooked springs largely from the personal satisfaction I derive from looking at something and saying, “I made this.” But another reason for my love of all things DIY is that I feel good knowing that I am reducing my consumption and impact in some small way.

Lately, I’ve been making my own veggie stock. I save the ends of veggies I chop or the produce I realize I won’t be able to cook before it goes bad. I cut off roots and bad spots and save everything in a recycled ziploc bag in the freezer until it is full of vegetables.

I saute/defrost the veggies in a large stockpot with a bit of olive oil, add some salt and pepper and a few bay leaves. Then I fill the pot with water, bring it to a boil, and then adjust to simmer for about an hour. When it’s ready to go, i strain the broth through a colander into a big bowl and mush the veggies a bit to squeeze out every last drop of flavor.

The result is rich and delicious. Sometimes I use it right away, especially for risotto. But I also freeze or refridgerate it and use it for soups and cooking grains later on.
The whole activity makes me feel delightfully resourceful and equiped for life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony or something. And I also like that I didn’t contribue to the energy costs of transporting a box or can of broth, that I kept one container out of the landfill, that I didn’t eat something with god knows what in it, and that I eeked a second life out of stuff that I ordinarily would have just thrown away.

Some veggie broth tips (adapted from “A Beautiful Bowl of Soup” by Paulette Mitchell)

• Use strong flavored veggies like asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower sparingly.
• Don’t use any vegetables that have spoiled or gone bad. Wash and trim off any bad spots or bruises.
• Parsnips and carrots sweeten broth, but carrot greens can make the broth bitter
• Starchy ingredients like potatoes, corn, peas, and lentils can make stock cloudy if used in abundance. I often include cut up potatoes and am usually happy with the result.
• Use herbs and spices, besides salt a pepper in moderation. Let your veggies do the work to flavor the broth. I like to use a few bay leaves, though.
• Cut veggies into large chunks so they won’t disintegrate as you cook.
• Sautee the veggies in oil or butter before you add the water for a richer flavor. Another way to intensify the flavor of the broth is to simmer an additional 20 minutes with the lid off to cook out some of the water.
• Use the broth in 3-4 days, or save in the freezer for up to six months.