Could you advise a novice on a quick way to make tasty vegetarian 'stock'
from vegetables, please.

More or less as a kind of a thick gravy or sauce, for the purpose of adding
to other
vegetable dishes.

Preferably something that can be prepared quite quickly. Thanks.

"john east" > ha scritto nel messaggio > Could you
advise a novice on a quick way to make tasty vegetarian 'stock'
> from vegetables, please.
>
> More or less as a kind of a thick gravy or sauce, for the purpose of
> adding to other
> vegetable dishes.
>
> Preferably something that can be prepared quite quickly. Thanks.

A stock is not thick or like gravy, but a vegetable stock can be ready in
about 20 minutes if you process the veg finely in a FP then boil with herbs
and seasonings. It ought then to be strained, but if you didn't no one would
arrest you.

On Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:03:15 -0000, "john east"
> wrote:

> Could you advise a novice on a quick way to make tasty vegetarian 'stock'
> from vegetables, please.
>
> More or less as a kind of a thick gravy or sauce, for the purpose of adding
> to other
> vegetable dishes.
>
> Preferably something that can be prepared quite quickly. Thanks.
>
Start by making regular vegetable stock and then thicken it.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

john east wrote:

> Could you advise a novice on a quick way to make tasty vegetarian 'stock'
> from vegetables, please.
>
> More or less as a kind of a thick gravy or sauce, for the purpose of adding
> to other
> vegetable dishes.
>
> Preferably something that can be prepared quite quickly. Thanks.
>
>
>

Unlike a meat stock which can take several hours to days (fish/seafood
being the exception) a good veggie stock can result from as little as 1
hour of simmering.

But be careful not to over cook or heat. Veggie stock can have its
flavour seriously impaired by too hot or long cooking.

Unlike meat stock veggies stocks wont thicken on their own. You must
use some sort of thickening agent such as a roux with them if you want
to make a gravy with them.

I think i get a better flavour by chopping the veggies in large chunks.
an onion i quarter, a carrot cut in 3rds, quarter a whole cabbage &
etc. Not only will this speed up the making of the broth but imo it
tastes better than if just tossed in whole.

Don't try to season the veggie stock, add any herbs, spices, garlic, s &
p to the dish you are using the stock in and not the stock itself,
though a bit of wine can do wonders to a veggie stock.

As well a carrots, onions, celery one can add sweet pepper, broccoli,
cauliflower (often times stalks & trimmings) tomatoes, leeks, mushrooms,
turnips, potatoes (will 'cloud' the stock) but also try experimenting
with potato or pasta water as the base for your veggie stock, and odder
veggies for stock are okra, eggplant, various fruits, and beans and
various legumes. Peanut butter can be a very good addition to a robust
veggie stock.

Many texts, both classical and modern add thyme and parsley from the
beginning, parsley root if you can get it, but IMO this is an
unnecessary step.

With beans and legumes, cook a pot of beans or legumes of choice, drain,
reserving the stock and begin building your vegitable flavours by adding
veggies & simmering till you have what you want. I am very fond of
using black eyed peas in this way.

A good and quickly made (15 minutes to 1/2 hour) fish stock is seasoned
with various raw veggies.

One can make an argument for caramelized onion, carrots & etc. but i wont
--
JL

john east > wrote:

>Could you advise a novice on a quick way to make tasty vegetarian 'stock'
>from vegetables, please.
>
>More or less as a kind of a thick gravy or sauce, for the purpose of adding
>to other
>vegetable dishes.

>Preferably something that can be prepared quite quickly. Thanks.

Firstly, stock is not the same thing as a gravy or sauce. Stock
is not thickened.

To make vegetable stock, save up all your vegetable trimmings or
otherwise unused vegetables, omitting crucifers. Keep saving these
in the freezer until you have enough to fill a stockpot, then boil them
for at least two hours. Then strain, boil down if you like, and
freeze indefinitely in small containers.

Such a stock could be used as the aquaeous component of any standard
water / fat / flour gravy. I have made vegan gravies a number
of times, after obtaining some advice here. Serene recommended
a mushroom gravy with sherry, and both Serene and sf recommended
the small addition of a product like Maggi (which is HVP/caramel).
This will add back some of the color you expect in a gravy.

Steve