Alternative flavors

Hello to the world at large. As I'm writing this post I have my first recipe out of my cookbook going in the oven. It needed fresh corn so I cut it off the cob. Another recipe I will be working later calls for fresh basil. Over at my parent-in-laws we have garden going so I picked a pound or two basil to dry and some vegetable for my lunch and cooking.

So where are the alternative flavors? Well I have corn cobs, carrot tops basil stems, extra vegetables from today's recipes, and old vegetables in the fridge. So I figured this would be a great time to make some vegetable stock. Here's what I put in it and why:

• The carrot tops and little nubs from the carrots. The carrot is a cousin to parsley and makes a great aromatic. Also the perfectly shaped carrot in your local grocery store is not how they grow in your garden. The roots will branch out into little nubs. Those nubs eventually grow in more carrot roots.
• Basil stems are great. That have different and stronger taste then basil leaves. Are your best pestos use the stems.
• Tomato - I had an extra one so it got cut up an tossed into the stock pot.
• Garlic - We have some diced garlic in olive oil in the fridge that is getting kinda close to the expiration date.
• Fresh corn was required by the one recipe spice it sliced off the cob. The cob has so much the flavor and smell we associate with roasting corn that its a natural for the stock.
• We have a zucchini from the garden that was getting a little old so I sliced and then quartered it with the skin still.
• Another recipes for today requires mushrooms. So an extra one was sliced and tossed in.
• A pinch of salt and some aging Italian herd mix was added when the stock tasted like it need a little something. The were abouts of the herd mix is unknown at this time. Probably a good thing since it older then any of other pets.
• A small sampler sized bottle of pinot grigio wine was added. It was so string that I could barely stand to drink, but it made a great flavoring for food
• Finally a bit red win vinegar was added to round out the flavor.

Once the stock cools I'll be placing two cup bags of the stock in the freezer for latter. Bags are nice in that they'll lay flat and will be perfect storage. Two cups is a great size for most recipe applications.

My corn thing just beeped so I have to check. More latter on how it came out.