Vegetable Stock

Not fast, but good and easy. If you want to add a little more flavor and nutrition to the recipes that call for water, use vegetable stock for some or all of the water. This recipe makes a lot of stock, that you can freeze in one or two cup portions, and use for months.

Ingredients:
3 onions, very roughly chopped
2 heads of garlic, halved sideways. You can leave the skin on.
8 to 10 carrots, roughly chopped
Parsley, flat leaf, one bunch
Celery, most of a bunch, with leaves, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes or an 8 oz. can tomato sauce
Mushrooms, halved, about 8 large, fresh or dried
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in a large pot, add 6 quarts of water, cover, bring to a boil, uncover and simmer
until the stock is reduced by half, about 2 hours. Cool, put a colander over another large pot or bowl, dredge the vegetables out into the colander as many times as it takes to mostly clear the cooking pot,
then strain the rest through the colander. You will have to empty the colander of the vegetable residue a few times.