Roasted Vegetable Stock

• large garlic cloves↗2

  peeled (or more if you like)

• large onion↗1

  peeled and quartered

• carrots↗3

  peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

• leeks, white part↗3

  cut into 1-inch pieces

• stalks celery↗3

  cut into 1-inch chunks

• olive oil↗2 tablespoons
• parsley↗
• fresh bay leaves↗2
• peppercorns↗6 -8

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 450°F.

2. 2

   Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, until gently coated.

3. 3

   Place the vegetables in a roasting pan or on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for about half an hour, turning them occasionally (They should be nicely browned and very aromatic).

4. 4

   Place all the vegetables in a large pot, scraping all the good brown stuff from the roasting pan into the pot with the herbs and peppercorns.

5. 5

   Fill with water and place on the stovetop on medium high heat.

6. 6

   Bring to a boil, lower the temperature, and boil gently for 2-3 hours (watch the water level--if it boils down too much, add more water).

7. 7

   Strain, pressing down on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids and place the remaining liquid in a sauce pan.

8. 8

   Simmer until reduced by three quarters; this could take about an hour.

9. 9

   You should end up with about one and a half to two quarts of stock.