Ingredients:
- 4 large tomatoes - halved
- 1 large yellow onion - diced
- 2 leeks - rinsed and sliced with green stalks removed
- 1-2 carrots - sliced
- 3-4 celery stalks - diced with leaves on
- garlic - 4-5 cloves
- 1 russet potato - peeled and diced
- parsley - about 10 branches roughly chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- Small handful of black peppercorns
- herbs - 1/2 tsp thyme or fines herbes (1 tbsp. of pesto adds a lot of flavor)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tsp. salt
- Wine or sherry - a generous splash (red wine preferred)
Roast the tomatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Halve the tomatoes and put them on a cookie sheet cut side up (cover sheet with foil for easy clean up)
- Spray tomatoes lightly with olive oil
- Roast the tomatoes for 20-30 minutes - some browning should occur
Prepare stock ingredients:
- While the tomatoes are roasting begin preparing the other ingredients
Stock preparation:
- Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat
- Add onions, carrots, leeks, all herbs, salt, peppercorns, and 1/2 cup of water and stew for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes (cover pot)
- Add all remaining ingredients as they are prepared
- After all ingredients are in add 8 cups of cold water along with the roasted tomatoes
- Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered until vegetables have given up their flavor. I watch for the vegetables (especially the carrots and parsley leaves) to have given up their color. We're talking 2 or more hours.
- Remove from heat and let cool
- Strain the stock through a colander pressing out as much liquid as possible
- Salt and pepper to taste
