I use a lot of stock in my cuisine. It builds flavour in soups and stews and makes a good base for light pastas. If you are a vegetarian it is easy to make a nicely flavoured vegetable stock. Always remember that the stock pot is not a compost bowl. If you add anything other than fresh vegetables or add a lot of peelings and scraps than that is what it will taste like. The stock can be frozen and indeed it is good to make a large batch and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once it is frozen pop it into baggies and voila when you are making a pasta you can just pop out one or two cubes as you need them.
Ingredients description
To make 1 litre
4 carrots, peeled and cut in one inch cubes 2 white turnips, peeled and cut in one inch cubes 2 onions, do not peel, wash and cut in one inch cubes N.B. ~ the onion skins will give a nice colour and flavour 6-10 mushroom stems, washed (the portobello stems in the organic basket are great for this) two leeks, washed and cut in one inch cubes 1 head garlic, split in half you can use other vegetables ~ the stems from broccoli or asparagus washed work well, a few chard leaves also add a rich flavour 2 branches fresh thyme 8 black peppercorns 2 bay leaves
Preparation
place all ingredients in a pot and add one litre cold water bring to a simmer and simmer (just bubbling) for 30 minutes strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and cool refrigerate until needed or freeze