Easy veggie stock

Making your own stock from veggies is a great way to really make full use of your vegetables and raise the nutrient content of your cooking. Ok, yes, it's a little bit more work than buying a can o' stock, but far more wholesome and with a lot less sodium and other additives. You can follow the simple directions below or, and I really mean this, you can just ask me and I'll make you a batch myself!

step 1 - procure large ziplock bag, preferably the freezer variety
step 2 - begin to save the butts, stems, stalks, and peelings from fresh vegetables when you make your healthy organic salads (you do make those don't you?) and add them to the bag you keep in the freezer. I especially save carrot butts, broccoli stems, pepper stems (with seeds), zucchini and squash butts, spinach stems, onion cuts, and basically anything else you can think of - the veggie parts that are hard work best, don't throw lettuce in there because that's too thin to freeze and will just get wilty.

step 3 - once you've accumulated enough and are ready to make your stock, just pour some water in a pot, as much as you want, and throw some of those frozen veggie parts in there - the more you put in the more flavorful your stock will be, I generally try to have a diverse mix of the veggies I put in any given batch but work with what you've got.
step 4 - bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes for a small-medium pot.

step 5 - you'll know it's ready when it smells good, the veggies have lost their bright color, and if you press the veggies with a wooden spoon against the side of the pot they feel soft and smushy.
step 6 - use a strainer and put a large enough bowl under it to hold your water, strain and use a spoon to press veggies so all that delicious nutritious water is squeezed out.
step 7 - Let it cool, you'll also see the debris settle on the bottom. Now you are ready to use the stock in a recipe right away or pour it slowly into a container for storage, avoid stirring up the little bit of debris that settled at the bottom which you will discard.

Voila! Easy, right? You can freeze this into ice cube trays for small portions or use glass jars or tupperware. Using the stock when cooking things like lentils, rice, sauces, soups, stir fry, and many recipes for which you may have otherwise used plain water will add nutrients and flavor (especially if you used organic vegetables that were frozen while optimally fresh).