Re: Dinner in the year of our lord 20241031.

D wrote:
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On Wed, 13 Nov 2024, Carol wrote:
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D wrote:
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On Tue, 12 Nov 2024, Carol wrote:
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D wrote:
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On Mon, 11 Nov 2024, Carol wrote:

I was raised with no real sweet tooth, comparitively, so
things are often 'too sweet' for me.  This drives a lot of
my scratch cooking.  Tomato sauces especially.
Commercially produced tomato sauces add sugar for filler
most of the time.

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This is the truth! Both me and the wife use cherry tomatoes
as the basis for tomato sauce. Much better, cheaper and
tastier!

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I like Romas but other types don't bother me.  I'm usually
grabbing a can from the bottom rows (USA, premium price is eye
level and often not as healthy).  The ones at the bottom rows
on tomatoes are generally better and they add no salt (or very
little).  Dramatic sodium change between
'Heinz/Hunts/Contadina' and the real ones that generally list
just tomatoes and nothing else.
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Reminds me of low quality brands of stock. Mostly salt and a
little bit of artificial flavouring. Shudder!

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That's true.  I mostly use my own home made vegetable stock.  It's
just made of ends and peels that most toss out.  This time it's got
the woody ends of some asparagus as well as cabbage cores, wilted
cabbage leaves, some rubbery celery and carrots, some peelings from
turnip, onion skins for color, and a core from a cauliflower.  A
bit of mustard greens that wilted and some bok choy bottoms.  A bit
of salt is needed so it doesn't yasye 'flat' but more like 1/2 ts
to a 1/2 gallon yield.  Cores of bell peppers and the seeds, left
over prechopped onion that didn't get used within 3 days.  Just
whatever we used that most toss out.  No potatoes or skins because
II like a clear broth.
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Sounds good! How do you prepare it?

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BTW, I'm not the only one who saves up bits in the freezer for
something like this.  I just add to bags kept in the freezer as I go
along making meals.  Because of that, the contents and portions will
vary with all batches.
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First thing is nothing is moldy or slimy.  Just wilted or maybe dried
out or parts no one eats (core of cabbage or cauliflower?  Insides and
ribs on a bell pepper plus seeds?  Ends and peels of carrots or onion
skins?  (watch onion skins for mold and toss those parts).
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Fill large stock pot to 1/3 or even 1/2 pushed down as much as possible
then add water to near top (leave slow boil room).
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Add 1/2 ts salt (what type doesn't matter).  The combination will
determine salt but some is needed at start or it's 'flat' tasting.
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Get pot to between simmer and low boil and check hourly or so.  Add
water as needed.  Usually ready in 2 hours but no harm is go longer.
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Next is based on what you have for gear.  I have a huge strainer which
is lined with paper towel (double thick) and a large rectangular
plastic keeper that holds the drained stock and veggies.  It's left to
drip (mashing down as it goes).  Toss veggies (or compost like Songbird
would).  Reline the strainer with papertowel and strain again if it
wasn't as clear as you like.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.
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I've tested vegetable broths on the market and they are like water.
This has lots of flavor.
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There's nothing wrong with adding potato peels or tomatoes that wilt,
but the broth won't be clear (which I want for mine).
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The list otherwise of what's in there is just anything vegetable.
Radishes and radish tops are good additions as are Daikon.
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