Cuisine – DIY stock

My homegrown tomoatoes have gone a bit crazy so I am using some of the surplus in this amazing stock recipe from my friend Kathryn Jansen. It is a fantastic alternative to store bought stock and a great way of using up excess tomatoes.
Red Vegetable Stock
Makes 2 jars
5 large tomatoes
8 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp oregano
4 Tbsp smoked paprika
4 Tbsp plain paprika
4 Tbsp ground cumin
1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
4 bay leaves, dried
100g rock salt
Method: Chop everything except the bay leaves and salt in a Thermomix or blender for around 20 seconds on medium speed.
Add to pot with the bay leaves and salt and cook 30 minutes.
Blend, then pulverise for 1 minute, put in jars and keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.
You can also freeze the stock in ice cube trays then, when frozen, tip the cubes into a zip lock bag.
One tablespoon of homemade stock is equal to 1 stock cube. Use directly in sauces, casseroles, pastas or anywhere you would use tomatoes, such as chilli con carne. Alternatively, dilute with 500ml water for soups etc. As a last resort use tinned tomatoes if there are no fresh – it is healthier than store bought stocks.
Tips: You can make a stock using most herbs and vegetables from the bottom of your fridge or your garden. Apply the same method as above, just ensure your quantities are roughly the same (about 800g total weight) and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and another 50g rock salt to preserve it. Either use a Thermomix, blender or finely chop, then cook in a pot and blend again. A hand blender would do the trick nicely too.