Vegetable Stock Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 4-inch strip kombu kelp seaweed
• 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 1 small head celery, rough-chopped
• 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 large leeks, split lengthwise, washed, and rough-chopped
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and rough-chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add onions and a splash of olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and bottom of pan is a deep brown color.
2. Add in remaining ingredients. Pour in enough cold water to cover the contents. Cook on high heat until stock comes to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until all vegetables are translucent.
4. Strain stock and discard vegetables. Cool, then store in an air-tight container. Refrigerate and use within 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
5. Cook’s Tips:
6. Many vegetable scraps can be saved in the freezer and used to fortify this recipe. Consider saving your mushroom stems, parsley stems, onion ends, and celery bottoms for later use. Onion and carrot peels can be added, but using too much may result in a bitter, dirty-tasting stock.
7. Leeks can often be very dirty. After splitting the leeks, wash between each layer to ensure all dirt has been removed.