Martha Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor, former model, convicted criminal and homemaking advocate. Over the last two decades Stewart has held a prominent position in the American publishing industry...more.

I picked this recipe out one day as I was making Rachel Ray's Cauliflower Soup with Brown Butter and needed some vegetable stock.

It is good to make your own stock using all the natural ingredients. Although it is very time consuming but the result is worth it. Not only will it be more flavoursome, it will be much healthier. I don’t like the idea of buying stock cube from the groceries store and making instant stock at home, if you notice they all have a lot of salt, msg and other flavouring. If I have the time, I always make my own stocks.

Most of the celebrity chefs have their own vegetable stock recipes but I thought I would make one from Martha Stewart because I can easily find those ingredients here. Some recipes contain unsual ingrediants (common in Western countries, but not in Asian countries). I did however substitute 2 parsnips to one white radish. The rest are all the same.

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Instructions

1. In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about
8 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, and celery; cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Wash and drain chard thoroughly. Chop into 1-inch pieces. Add to the vegetable mixture. Then add 3 quarts plus 2 cups cold water, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 1 hour; liquid should be highly flavored.

3. Remove from heat, and strain stock through a fine sieve, pressing on vegetables to extract juices. Discard vegetables. Stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Source : Martha Stewart "Martha Stewart Living"

Recipe

- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion(about 1/2 pound), coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots(about 1/4 pound), coarsely chopped
- 2 parsnips(about 1 pound), coarsely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds) red or green Swiss chard
- Several sprigs fresh thyme
- Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 dried bay leaf

MAKES : 3 QUARTS