Instructions: Why throw away scallion and leek trimmings, squash seeds, organic peels or the ends of carrots; onions, celery and other vegetables when they can be used to bring your cooking to new culinary heights? These vegetable trimmings are the primary ingredients in stocks, which add richness and depth of flavor to soups, broths, stews, casseroles and pilafs.

The beauty of stock is that it can be made using almost any vegetables and trimmings you have on hand - and you dont have to be particular about how the vegetables are cut. Opt for organic produce whenever possible. If using the peels of vegetables not organically grown, wash them well and discard any waxed peels. Heres a list of which ingredients have the best flavor for stocks.

USE THESE: burdock, carrots, celery, celery root, corn: cobs/husks, ginger, herbs, leeks, mushrooms: fresh/dried, onions, parsnips, potatoes, peeled scallions, winter squash

AVOID THESE: beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, peppers, potatoes, unpeeled

Note: Any vegetable in the "Avoid" column can be used in stocks when it is also the central ingredient in the soup.

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