Around the Shabbat Table (22 page)
Read Around the Shabbat Table Online
Authors: Jayne Cohen
VEGETABLE STOCK
yield:
ABOUT 6 CUPS
Because vegetable stock is
pareve
or neutral (that is, it contains neither meat nor dairy), according to the dietary laws, it may be eaten with either. But meat dishes generally rely on meat stocks; in Jewish cooking, it is foods glossed with butter or topped with cream that give vegetable stock its reason for being. Only vegetable stock can jazz up a plain pilaf destined to partner a butter-gilded fish. It is the sole stock base for a soup that will be enriched with sour cream or yogurt. And kasha, often insipid when prepared with plain water, turns inspired with a stock that permits generous lacings of genuine sweet butter instead of margarine.
You can purchase acceptable ready-made versions of chicken and beef stock that will do nicely in a pinch for sauces, stews, and so on, but good-quality vegetable stocks are harder to find. Fortunately, they are much quicker to make than the meat-based kind (in fact, lengthy cooking will ruin, not improve, a vegetable stock).
This is one of those recipes for which I am reluctant to provide exact ingredients and measures because it can be varied endlessly according to availability of produce and how the stock will ultimately be used. So think of this recipe as a guide.
Some of the optional ingredients here will give you bigger flavors. Use them when you desire a stronger, darker stock. Tomatoes make everything sing, but with a rather full-throated voice. Soy sauce and the liquid from soaking dried mushrooms can be insistent, too. You may want to start with smaller quantities of these ingredients, and keep tasting as you go along, adding more as necessary. If you have the corncobs left over after scraping the kernels for another use, they will provide an earthy sweetness.
And by all means, add other vegetables: anything in the onion family, a little sweet red pepper, more fresh mushrooms (parings are fine), fennel, pea pods, a small potato, celery root, fresh herbs. Aim for balance and complexityâno one ingredient should overwhelm the others. And avoid strong or bitter-tasting vegetables, like broccoli, members of the cabbage family, eggplant, and pungent greens.
1 tomato (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon of each
2 large onions, 1 coarsely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, scraped and diced
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 small parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small turnip, scraped or if waxed or thick-skinned, peeled, coarsely chopped
1
â
2
pound fresh cultivated regular or shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean (pieces and stems are fine)
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
About 1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme or
1
â
4
teaspoon dried leaves
5 peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
10 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 Turkish bay leaf
1
â
4
cup celery leaves or 1 teaspoon celery seed, crushed lightly
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
Up to 1 cup zucchini or summer squash chunks, strips of mild lettuce or green Swiss chard leaves, or coarsely chopped chard stalks
2 corncobs
Up to
1
â
4
ounce dried mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes, or until soft, then rinsed for grit and finely chopped
Some liquid from soaking the dried mushrooms (or leftover mushroom liquid from another recipe), strained through a sieve lined with a paper towel or a coffee filter to remove any remaining grit
2 quarts cold water (quality is important here, so if you use bottled water for coffee or tea, use it here)
IF
you are using the tomato, char it to give it some character and to remove the peel easily: rinse and pat it dry. Spear it through the stem end with a long-handled fork and lightly blacken the skin on all sides over a gas burner, as you would roast a pepper. Let it cool until you can handle it, then pull off the peel with your fingers. Cut the tomato in half, scoop out and discard the seeds and core. Chop the pulp coarsely and set it aside.
IN
a 6-quart Dutch oven or very wide heavy saucepan, heat the oil and/or butter over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add all of the onions and sauté for about 15 minutes, frequently lifting and scraping the pieces from the bottom of the pan as the onions caramelize to a deep golden bronze.
ADD
the carrots, celery, parsnip, and turnip, and cook until the edges of the vegetables are tinged with brown. Add the fresh mushrooms and garlic, and cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Sprinkle with the soy sauce, if using, and the thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Add the tomato, if using, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, bay leaf, celery leaves or seeds, the zucchini, squash, and/or chard, if using, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corncobs, soaked dried mushrooms, and/or the mushroom soaking liquid, if using. Add the water. Bring to a gentle boil, so the bubbles just begin to break along the edges, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, partially covered, until the vegetables are very soft.
STRAIN
immediately through a wire-mesh sieve or a colander fitted with paper towels, pressing hard against the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all of the flavorful liquids. Taste and adjust the seasonings. If the stock lacks character, concentrate the flavors by reducing the liquid slightly. (Don't reduce this stock too muchâit will turn bitter.)
LET
cool completely,
uncovered,
then cover and refrigerate. The stock will keep up to 5 days refrigerated, or up to 3 months frozen.
ROASTED PEPPERS
To roast peppers, spear them with a long-handled fork, and roast like marshmallows over an open flame (a gas burner or outdoor fire). Or place the peppers on a roasting rack set directly over the flame. Keep turning the peppers until the skins are lightly charred on all sides. You can also roast them under the broiler. Place the peppers on a foil-lined rack under a preheated broiler, as close as possible to the heat source. Turn the peppers as the skins blister and blacken.
Put charred peppers in a paper bag and twist the bag closed, or put them in a covered bowl. Let them steam until cool enough to handleâthis will make them easier to peel. Rub the skins off with your fingers (if preparing chiles, make sure you are wearing rubber gloves). Don't worry if you don't remove every piece of charred skinâa few bits here and there will add smoky flavor. Although this is messy and the peel will stick to your fingers, I don't recommend peeling the peppers under water, as some suggest, because it washes away the flavorful oils, making the peppers soggy and flat-tasting. Instead, dip your hands into a bowl of water every so often or wipe them on a paper towel to clean them. Pull out and discard the stem, seeds, and ribs. The peppers are ready to be used in a recipe.
Want more delicious recipes from Jayne Cohen?
Check out
Jewish Holiday Cooking
!
Jewish Holiday Cooking:
In
Jewish Holiday Cooking
,
Jayne Cohen shares a wide-ranging collection of traditional Jewish recipes, as well as inventive new creations and contemporary variations on the classic dishes. This definitive guide to Jewish holiday cooking is perfect for home cooks who need a how-to guide for celebrating the Jewish holidays, or who are looking for creative new ways to make the Jewish traditions in their lives more meaningful.
Jewish Holiday Cooking
includes recipes and menus for each of the eight major holidaysâShabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuotâalong with captivating reminiscences and tales from Jewish lore as well as nostalgic black and white photography from Cohen's own family history.
About the Author:
 Jayne Cohen is the author of one previous book on Jewish cooking and celebrationsâ
The Gefilte Variations
âand is the co-author of
The Ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration Book.
 She writes frequently about food for publications such as
Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food and Wine,
the
New York Times,
the
Los Angeles Times,
the
Boston Globe,
and
Newsday.
Cohen lives in Greenwich Village with her husband, and their daughter Alexandra returns home to cook at every holiday. Visit her Web site at
JewishHolidayCooking.com
.