It’s Giveaway Time! (Homemade Vegetable Stock)

Things have been so busy I haven’t had as much time to cook or blog, but I had the day off for Veterans Day so I finally had time to try out my new chinois, graciously gifted to me by Webstaurant Store, a leading restaurant equipment and supply site that has so many things even if you don’t have an industrial kitchen (but secretly wish you did)!

A chinois is basically a fancy, conical sieve with a very fine mesh, so whatever you put through it will be silky smooth. Since I make so many creamy soups, it was a wonderful blogiversary gift, thanks Steve! I used it to make stock, and wow! Beautifully clear, nothing gets through that sieve (recipe below). And for one lucky reader, [rather belatedly], in honor of my blogiversary you can win a $25 gift certificate to Webstaurant Store! [ now your turn to thank Steve :)]

I first read about Webstaurant Store in Food Network Magazine, and although they carry things like industrial refrigerators that would take up my entire kitchen, they also carry a variety of items that can be very useful to home cooks, like metal mixing bowls, microwaveable deli storage containers (which I use ALL the time, including to store my new stock :)), foil, parchment paper, (oh, and recyclable wooden spoons and forks that my mom, the elementary school teacher, bought for an art project).

Ways to win:
1. Post a comment below telling me why you’d like to win.
2. Visit www.webstaurantstore.com and post a comment letting me know you did.
3. Tweet about this post, tagging myself (@RellaBellak) and Webstaurant Store (@webstaurant), then post a comment letting me know.

You can enter to win using any or all of the above methods (max of 3 entries) until midnight EST on Monday, November 22nd. I’ll randomly select the winner and announce on Tuesday. Good luck!

Rosemary Infused Vegetable Stock

4 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot and saute onions and garlic until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add rosemary, carrots and celery and cook 4 minutes more.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 2-3 hours or until liquid has reduced by a few cups.
3. Strain through a chinois or a fine mesh sieve. Freeze in 1 or 2-cup containers so you can easily use without re-measuring.

The cost:
onion: .19
garlic: .15
carrots: .29
celery: .99
rosemary: 1.99

Grand total: $3.61; makes 10 cups of stock (free if you are using up odds and ends of veggies from other recipes!)