One of my favorite things to do with leftover vegetables is to make stock. I often just make veggie stock, but today, I am making chicken stock. Last week we had a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. When we finished it, I took the carcass and froze it for just such an occasion as this. Stock couldn't be easier, and you really can make it with anything you have on hand. So when you have wilted celery or a bag of baby carrots looking all sad, throw them in a pot of water instead of throwing them away. Trust me, homemade stock is easy, cheap and tastes way better then the store bought stuff.
Here's what is in my stock today...
Chicken Stock
3 onions
1 head of garlic (sliced in half, I don't even peel it)
5 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 chicken carcass
2 green peppers
Cilantro
Whole peppercorns
Kosher salt
2 bay leaves
(There may be a vegetable I forgot, but you get the idea).
Put all of the ingredients in a large pot of water. There is no need to chop the vegetables uniformly or carefully since they are all going to get drained out anyway. Bring the water up to a boil and then turn down the heat. Let simmer on low for at least 2 hours, but feel free to cook for longer if you have the time.
Let the stock cool off and skim any fat that has risen to the top before straining out all of the ingredients. Then place in the fridge. Once it has been refrigerated you can remove any remaining fat from the top. With veggie stock, you can skip all this skimming nonsense.
 |
| One for the fridge and one for the freezer. |
