Vegetable Stock

Very few people take the trouble to make vegetable stock these days, which is a pity since it is very nutritious and has many uses. You don't need to be a vegetarian to enjoy its benefits and you don't need to spend hours making it.

In fact, it's almost a by-product of your normal, everyday cooking and just about prepares itself. You can make it from the peelings and off-cuts of your favorite vegetables (be sure to wash before peeling) which can be stored in the freezer until you have enough to make a good supply. And the lightly salted water you have boiled potatoes in makes an excellent base, especially if you are intending to make soup with the finished stock.

Below is a basic stock. You can change this as much as you like and you can certainly use vegetable peelings in place of the vegetables themselves. What could be more economical? And here's a tip: in many vegetables the greatest concentration of nutrients is in the skins, so it makes no sense at all to throw them out.

To make 300ml (1/3 pint) of stock use:

• 4tbs olive oil
• 1 roughly chopped onion
• 1 roughly chopped leek
• 1 roughly chopped carrot, unpeeled
• 2 roughly chopped sticks of celery
• some mushroom stalks
• The white core or outside leaves of cabbage, chopped
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• some parsley or coriander (cilantro) stalks
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 glass of dry white wine or vermouth
• 500mls (roughly 1 pint) of potato stock or just plain water

If you use plain water rather than the water you have cooked potatoes in, you will nedd to add salt at some stage. Leave it to the very end of the reducing process, or you may find your finished stock is too salty.

To make your stock, heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan, stir in the vegetables, cover and allow them to 'sweat' for five minutes. This will soften them and help to release their flavors.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. At the end of this time strain the stock, pressing down on the vegetables to squeeze out the liquid. Return the stock to the pan and reduce it by half. Discard the vegetable pulp.

When the stock cools some fat will rise to the surface. Remove this with a shallow spoon or by absorbing it into kitchen paper. Then you can either store the stock, covered, in the fridge for around 7 days or, better yet, you can freeze it in cubes and use as required.

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