It is so key—and so easy—to make your own vegetable broth. With just a little foresight, you can cut the amount of food you’re throwing away and never spend money on boxed stocks again. With their new campaign, #veggiescrapbroth, CSA network Local Roots NYC is encouraging everyone to get in on broth-making for the cooler months. The above graphic gives you the easy recipe, and below they’ve told us more about what they’re trying to do.
Edible Brooklyn: What inspired the #veggiescrapbroth campaign?
The staff at Local Roots NYC has been making broth from our CSA’s vegetable scraps for quite some time but, through talking with our community, it occurred to us that not everyone is aware of the practice. For us, it’s such a simple shift in the way we operate in our kitchens, but it has such a positive effect. Not only does it improve the way we eat, but it also furthers our mission to increase sustainability by reducing the amount of waste we produce. The campaign is a response to our desire to show people how making a simple, thoughtful change in the kitchen can have a lasting impact. We also want to help our CSA members get the most out of their CSA shares and making veggie broth with your scraps is a great way to get even more out of your weekly veggies.
EB: How do you think it can change people’s relationships to scraps and cooking in general?
We hope that it will increase thoughtfulness in the kitchen around what people are consuming, where their food is coming from, and how their actions in the kitchen impact their body and the planet. Joining a CSA is an easy way to have a lifestyle change around your relationship with food and cooking. Using your scraps and cooking your own food is just one step toward that. By making your own broth, you can also be assured that you know where your food is coming from and your broth will always be seasonal!
EB: What kind of recipes can people make with veggie stock that aren’t just soup?
One of the simplest ways you can use your veggie scrap broth is by replacing it with water while preparing grains. It adds so much flavor to quinoa, rice or couscous. You can also cook beans in veggie scrap broth. It can be great when used for braising meats or vegetables. By alternating spices in the veggie broth, you can change the flavor of dishes. Adding soy sauce and paprika to one batch will bring out completely different flavors in your dishes than when you add chili pepper flakes or simply a sprinkling of salt. It’s a great and easy way to get more variety in your kitchen.
EB: Have you seen any interesting responses yet?
Many people are surprised at the concept. Some people just hadn’t realized that they could make their own broth with scraps. Many have been pleased that such a simple practice can be so cost-effective while also elevating the food that you’re cooking and treating the planet with greater respect. People can tag us @localrootsnyc and use #veggiescrapbroth, and we’ll share what they make on our Instagram!
