A Note on Stocks...

I have been making my own vegetable stocks for all the recipes so far and have found it gives me a lot more control over the vegetable and spice flavor of the overall meal.  During the "Month of Lentils" I would make a stock with all the typical adds, celery, onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, etc., but featured an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce in the mix to compliment the lentils well.  This is "Squash Month" so I have put together a stock that features chopped, tender yellow squash, purchased from the Red Stick Farmer's Market!  Additionally, to this current stock I added a few cubes of demarrara sugar (I have it on hand in this manner, because sometimes I love to drop one cube in my morning cup of French-pressed, Stumptown coffee, with a splash of soy milk...YUM), some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little ground cloves.  Besides adding vegetable stock to most of the savory meals I offer in my weekly recipe contributions, I keep some on hand to use for steaming extra flavor into sauteed vegetables, to warm-up navy beans over the stove, or to make a quick brothy soup of noodles, stewed tomatoes, chopped cabbage and garbanzo beans.  I find it absolutely essential to have some homemade stock on hand at all times;  I usually go through one recipe's worth within a week, and replenish my supply by making more on Sunday mornings.  Here you will find recipes for my basic vegetable stock and the quickie soup mentioned above.