Vegetable Stock

Even before deciding to cook/eat Vegetarian for the month of February, I've always used a lot of vegetable stock. It used to be more difficult to find stock that was more natural, but there are many more options now. However, I still find the packaged stocks too salty, and sometimes it's hard to get to a Stock Market or Soup Meister. Making your own vegetable stock, however, is super easy and quick. The stock will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. This recipe is from Mark Bittman's 'How to Cook Everything'.

Vegetable Stock

- 4 large carrots, sliced

- 2 large onions, chopped (no need to peel)

- 3 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 2 - 5 cloves garlic (no need to peel)

- 10-20 medium button mushrooms, trimmed and halved

- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

- 10 - 20 fresh parsley stems and leaves

- freshly ground black pepper

In saucepan, heat a little oil and brown vegetables for a few minutes. Add 14 cups cold water and some pepper. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat to simmer steadily but gently for 30 minutes to an hour.

Let cool, then strain, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. I strained into a cheesecloth lined sieve, squeezing the cheesecloth each time. Divide into containers, marking how many cups in each container, then use or freeze for later.