Ingredients

Makes about 2 quarts

　　4 quarts cold water

　　4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into large dice

　　4 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths

　　2 medium onions, cut into quarters

　　2 leeks, white and green parts, trimmed, sliced, and washed (page 80)

　　1/2 pound mushrooms or mushroom stems, chopped coarse

　　2 large ripe tomatoes, quartered, or 1 tablespoon tomato paste

　　6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley

　　4 sprigs fresh thyme

　　2 bay leaves

　　12 black peppercorns

　　Salt

　　

Step 1

Put all ingredients except the salt in a large (about 8-quart) stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Adjust the heat to a strong simmer and cook, partially covered, 1 hour. Skim the foam that rises to the surface once or twice as the stock cooks.

　　

Step 2

Strain the stock through a fine sieve and cool to room temperature. The stock can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.