Thank you so much for all the helpful advice. I never thought about herb stems, but I guess that would be a great way to get some flavor out of them before composting. I'll steer clear of the squash ... I was planning to freeze the scraps until I'm ready to make stock - I've already started a baggie in the freezer actually. Its a great idea, and such a useful way to use bits and pieces that would otherwise just get tossed straight away. I always peel carrots. I don't know why, the outer peel never looks as appetizing as the inside. So as long as carrot peelings are ok ... I read somewhere online (and someone here mentioned it too) that carrot peelings can turn a stock bitter ... I have no idea why though? I suppose if you all use them and have no problems, then they should be ok. Tops and ends of carrots too. Sally - that's a great tip about using the skins/innards of vegetables for specific stocks/soups, like squash. I had never thought of it before, but last night I made a corn chowder recipe (new to me) that called for adding the corn cobs into the pot to boil for a while ... adding extra corn flavor to the broth. I know corn cobs aren't recommended for stock because they make it really sweet, but for the soup it added another layer of corn flavor which was really nice! So no one uses green bean pods in their stock? I have a huge bowl of shelled bean pods that I'll just through in the green bin ... but I thought maybe they'd be ok for stock? If no one else uses them though ... do a lot of people use potato peelings, or is that a very uncommon one as well? I wonder if they'd add an odd taste? We do have a lot of potato peelings in our house...

When I make chicken stock I let it sit overnight and then skim the fat from the top when it hardens, it's nearly fat free and so I don't think that's a huge issue, but there's a place for vegetable stock too. Truthfully? I don't make it often but I have that big gallon freezer bag in my freezer. Limp celery and celery tops go in there, along with carrot "ends", the tougher outside layers of onions, the last bit of corn or green beans. When it's full I make stock. I add several cloves of garlic, some fresh parsley and always a bay leaf or two, I love bay leaves. I also toss in some fresh thyme from the herb garden if it's in season, add a couple of quarts of water and simmer for a couple of hours. Depending on what I have on hand I've been known to toss in corn cobs, parsnips, the stems from swiss chard or collards. I added some pea pods once but didn't like that more assertive flavor, it seemed to overwhelm the other stuff but that's a matter of taste I think. Salt and pepper to taste but if you add the thyme, the garlic and the bay leaf it doesn't need much salt. Annie

Green Beans with Smoked Paprika and Almonds (Fine Cooking) 3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths (3 cups) 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 medium) 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 tsp. granulated sugar 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds 1/4 tsp. hot Spanish smoked paprika Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the beans in the water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain well. Put the shallots and olive oil in a cold 12-inch skillet and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the shallots begin to turn golden, stirring to break them into rings, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and stir constantly until they are golden all over, about 45 seconds. Add the almonds, stir well, and immediately add the beans and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve.

1.__________________________________________________________ Asparagus and Leek Soup Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Asparagus and Leek Soup over low heat, saute: 2 finely chopped leeks in a little butter or olive oil then add: 2# chopped asparagus, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 C chicken broth, 1 C water when the veggies are very tender, puree them in a blender. return this to the stock pot and if you like it, stir in 1/2 C of sour cream. slowly reheat and add a little salt and pepper to taste. 2._________________________________________________________ Chilled Soup of Mixed Peas Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Chilled Soup of Mixed Peas # snap peas, blanched and julienned, ¼ C butter, 2 minced shallots, 2# shelled peas, 2 C chicken stock, 2 C half and half, ½ C sour cream, lemon juice, salt & pepper, basil Melt butter in a saucepanadd shallots and sauté for a minute or two. Add peas. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Blend in a blender until smooth and chill thoroughly. Whisk together the half and half and sour cream and pour this into the soup. Season with a squirt or two of lemon juice, salt and pepper and add a little shredded or dried basil. Garnish with the pea pods and serve. Notes: the above is fairly thick and creamy. You can substitute no fat half and half (which is pretty high in sugars) and no-fat sour cream. The flavor is still quite good but it is a little thinner, both in consistency, as well as flavor 3.__________________________________________________________ Mom's Parsley Soup Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Mom's Parsley Soup Combine and simmer for about 30 minutes: 4 C diced potatoes (3 chefs or 5 or 6 regular ones), 1 C diced onions, 1/4 C butter, 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1 T worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ C water, After cooling the above mixture a little, pour it into an osterizer, adding about 1/2 C of milk and blend until it's VERY smooth. heat in a small saucepan: 2 ½ C chopped parsley, 3 C chicken stock, (the parsely and stock can be put through an osterizer or blended with a "power stick" but i prefer to leave it with a little texture) stir the parsley/stock into the potato/stock, and season with salt and pepper. check to see if it needs thinning with a little more milk. at this point, you can chill it or reheat just to the boiling point for serving. this will serve 8 easily. 4._________________________________________________________ Wild Mushroom Soup Posted by: MQmoi (My Page) on Tue, Nov 26, 02 at 18:15 As promised, here's the Wild Mushroom Soup recipe that got raves at the Autumnfest meal. It is from The Trellis Cookbook. I made it using Chanterelle mushrooms. If you read the Chef's notes, you will get other ideas, e.g., I made part of the soup ahead of time. Wild Mushroom Soup Serves 8 1 pound shiitake mushrooms or other available fresh wild mushrooms, 6 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon water, 2 stalks celery, chopped, 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 medium carrot, chopped, 1 medium leek, white part only, chopped, 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed, Salt and pepper to season, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon clarified butter, 2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, 1 cup heavy cream Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Slice enough mushroom caps to make 3 cups. Reserve. Place the remaining caps and stems in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. While the stock is simmering, heat the vegetable oil and water in a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped celery, onion, carrot, and leek, along with the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until the onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and mushroom stock to the sauteed vegetables. Bring to a simmer. In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour, to make a roux, and cook until the roux bubbles, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent browning and scorching. Strain 4 cups simmering stock into the roux. Whisk vigorously until smooth, then add to the large pot with the remaining stock and vegetables. Whisk until well combined. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. (Pass the soup through a strainer if a smoother texture is desired.) Heat the clarified butter in a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the reserved 3 cups sliced mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream. As soon as this mixture is hot (do not boil), add to the pureed soup. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. (This soup may be held hot in a double boiler for up to two hours.) The Chef's Touch Because of their wide availability on a year-round basis, shiitake mushrooms have become the fresh wild mushroom of choice at The Trellis. Many other varieties of fresh wild mushrooms are also available seasonally. Some of our favorites include: oyster tree, black trumpet, white trumpet, chicken-of-the-woods, morel, porcini, and chanterelle. When fresh varieties are not available, do not hesitate to use the dried variety, especially for a soup or stew. For this recipe, rehydrate 4 ounces dried wild mushrooms in 2 quarts warm water for one hour; drain well before using. If for some reason wild mushrooms, fresh or dried, are not available, an acceptable soup can be prepared by using 1 pound cultivated white mushrooms. If the soup is not to be served within two hours, omit adding the sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, and cream. Cool the soup properly (see page 315), then cover and refrigerate for up to three days. When reheating the soup, bring to a simmer before adding the separately heated garnish of mushrooms, tomatoes, and cream. 5.__________________________________________________________ No Peek Stew Posted by: Ann_T (My Page) on Thu, Nov 28, 02 at 19:26 Joanne, I have never made this nor do I know who posted it first. It has been posted numerous times though. This particular version of it I copied from another website. See link below. If someone would like to take credit for it, please be my guest. LOL. Ann. No Peek Stew 2 lbs. stew meat, 1 (2.5 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained, 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix, 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup ginger ale, Throw all ingredients into a pot with a tight-fitting lid and bake at 350 degrees F. for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Do not peek. Yield: 6 servings. 6._________________________________________________________ OLd Fashioned cream of tomato soup Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Thu, Apr 3, 03 at 21:42 OLd Fashioned cream of tomato soup serves 10 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup flour, 4 cups milk, 2 1/2 lbs canned diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups tomato juice, 1 1/2 cups prepared bloody mary mix, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups heavy cream make a roux in a large pot using butter and flour, careful not to brown. add remaining ingredients , simmer 15 minutes. garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a touch of dill 7.__________________________________________________________ WINTER VEGETABLE STEW Posted by: Teri2 on Thu, Aug 28, 03 at 15:55 This is always a hit and it's just about my favorite winter dish. It never fails to amaze people who think they don't like brussel sprouts, including me! Use the tender, young sprouts of fall and they'll just soak up the yummy liquid and taste soooo good. WINTER VEGETABLE STEW 5 T. butter, 2 med leeks, sliced thinly, 1/2 lb. boiling onions, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 t. thyme, 1 bay leaf, rosemary to taste, 1/2 lb. mushrooms, whole or halved to bite size, 1 med. turnip, 1/2 in. dice (this is essential for flavor), 1 1/4 c. dry white wine, 1 1/2 T. soy sauce, 1/2 lb. Russet potatoes, 1/2 in. dice, 1/4 lb. small brussel sprouts, 1 c. hot vegetable stock (Knorr cubes work well), 1 T. wine vinegar, 1 1/2 T. molasses, 1 1/2 t. paprika, dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste Use a large, heavy pot. Saute leeks, onion, garlic and herbs in 3 T butter until leeks turn golden. Add mushrooms, turnips, wine and soy sauce. Stir and lower heat. Prepare potatoes and sprouts. Add to stew. Stir again and cover. In a small saucepan, melt 2 T butter and stir in flour. Cook the roux for a few minutes. Add hot vegetable stock and whisk to thicken. Add vinegar,molasses, paprika and Tabasco. Add to stew. Simmer stew about 1 hour. Season to taste (if at all). Serves 4-5. Teri