Mushroom Stock

I've got people.  These people supply me with great components that others would simply put in the compost pile.  I'm talking about 2 pounds of Shiitake mushroom stems!  They are fibrous and inedible, so what on earth can you do with them?  When cooked down with other aromatics into a stock it forms an earthy backdrop for one of my favorite winter soups... Dream of Mushroom Soup (separate post).  I highly recommend making a huge batch of this stock - especially if you follow a vegetarian diet.  The stock can be used in other veggie dishes and makes a fantastic cooking liquid.  I freeze some of it in ice-cube trays to make storage and portioning easier.

Ingredients:

2T olive oil

1ea medium yellow onion, rough diced

2ea garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1ea large carrot, peeled, rough diced

1ea parsnip, peeled, rough diced

2ea celery ribs, rough diced

1/2ea sweet red pepper, rough diced

2# shiitake mushroom stems

1 tsp salt

6 branches fresh thyme (stems and all)

6 branches fresh parsley (stems and all)

2-3 branches fresh sage (stems and all)

2 ea dry bay leaves

3-4ea dry cloves

16C cold water 

Method:

• In a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, stirring and cook til translucent.  Add carrot, parsnip, celery, red pepper, mushroom stems, and salt.  Stir and cook until vegetables start to release liquids.  Add herbs and water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 45-60 min.
• Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer and return it to a large stock pot.  Reduce liquids to desired intensity (approx. another 45-60min.) 

Yields approximately 10 Cups of stock.

Broccoli Stems

The other day I was watching a friend prepare broccoli to go along with a stir fry dinner and saw him about to throw out the large woody stems.  NO! I took them home with me.  While it may not seem like much, when you are a poor foodie such as I, these can be utilized into the making of another meal!  Foods like broccoli are often sold by the pound and throwing out product is like throwing out money.  I do discard some of the more gnarly stems and shoots down to a block, then trim them into nice 2" long julienne cuts.  These make a great addition to coleslaw - either by supplementing a cabbage blend or on their own.  They contribute a mild flavor and a crunchy texture.

Broccoli gets a bum rap.

Have you ever been to an event serving a crudites platter, tried the broccoli, and later regretted it because it made you gassy?  Most people I have seen producing these trays simply put out raw broccoli (among other veggies).  Broccoli is fibrous and starchy.  It is these starches the body has a hard time digesting and gas is the result.  Every body processes these starches differently.  Some people posses the enzymes to break them down more effectively than others. Blanching  gas-causing vegetables first starts the breakdown of these fibers before they enter the intestine and may help reduces the gassy end results.

Blanching is easy.
All you need is a pot of boiling water with a half a lemon in it and a pinch of salt and an ice-water bath.  The citric acid in the lemon helps protect the vegetable proteins from getting mushy and preserves colors.  The salt acts as a flavor enhancer and draws some moisture out of the vegetable fibers.   The heat softens the fibers, making them easier to digest.  The purpose of the ice bath is to stop the cooking process (mushy broccoli is gross).  It really depends on what vegetables you are blanching and how large they are cut - but 2-5 minutes in the boiling bath should suffice.  Remove the veggies with a slotted spoon, drain, and dry them off.  They are ready to use for that kinder, gentler crudites platter.