Top, the base for minestrone; bottom, the peelings and other vegetable discards for stock.
My favorite minestrone recipe (from the sadly now-defunct Gourmet magazine) calls for a lot of vegetables—garlic, carrots, onions, and celery. Ingredients that also make up the base for vegetable stock. I make sure to wash all my vegetables with the peels left on and as I cut and prep them for the soup, I add the discards (peelings, root ends) to another pot. I then add a few whole vegetables, halved or quartered, lemon peel, peppercorns, a drizzle of oil, fresh herbs, and some salt and cover it with water. I set it to simmer and then focus on the soup. After the stock cools, I freeze it in a muffin pan, then transfer the broth "muffins" to a freezer bag for longer storage. I use them whenever a recipe calls for broth—and even to thin out the minestrone portions I have frozen, too.
From: Margaret | 6/24/11 at 5:00 pm
Great idea! I have begun saving my veggie and potato water for soup stock and bread making. All those veggie pieces I have been tossing will now come to another use!