I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time getting up in the morning.
This happens every year about this time, as I am physically and psychologically ready for daylight-saving time to be over several weeks before it ends.
I want back the hour I lost last spring. Now.
I want to wake up naturally, as I do most of the year, without an alarm, and feel like I'm getting an early start to the day. But it's impossible when the particular angle of light and the time announced on the clock don't match. It all feels wrong, off kilter, askew and will until we turn back our clocks.
Alas, this year daylight-saving time lasts a week longer than last year, ending on the first Sunday of November instead of the last Sunday of October.
Even so, preparations for winter are -- or should be -- under way, including in our kitchens.
Driveways are full of firewood waiting to be stacked and every weekend, the sound of chainsaws can be heard throughout west county.
My wood stove stands open and ready to be cleaned and there's a stack of kindling by the back door. Driving through Monte Rio last weekend, I saw circling plumes of smoke rising skyward amid the redwood trees.
There are still good tomatoes at the farmers market, but it is time to think about the soups and stews that will warm us on cold nights and nurture us through the inevitable colds and flu that will begin to spread all too soon.
If you've read this column for long, you'll know what I'm about to recommend: Spend a day a two making stocks. Make it a family project and you'll be surprised by the results. When it comes time to make dinner during a storm or when a cold front has set in, everyone will share in the sense of satisfaction that comes when you realize the pleasure of planning ahead.
It's helpful to have both chicken stock and beef stock on hand throughout the cooler months. Vegetarians will want hearty vegetable stock.
Mushrooms give this stock good color and an earthy depth of flavor.
Vegetable Stock
Makes 8 to 10 cups
3 unpeeled yellow onions, quartered
1 head of celery, leaves discarded, stalks cut in half
5 medium red tomatoes
1 garlic bulb, halved (unpeeled)
1 pound mushrooms, preferably crimini, coarsely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
2 large leeks, white parts only, halved and thoroughly cleaned
3 carrots, in chunks
5 medium zucchini, in chunks
-- Kosher salt
? cup olive oil
10 sprigs Italian parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs oregano
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the vegetables into a large roasting pan and season with salt. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, add the herbs and toss gently to coat everything with the oil.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes. Put the vegetables and pan drippings into a large stock pot, add the peppercorns and enough water to cover the vegetables by two inches and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1? hours, adding more water as needed to keep the vegetables submerged.
Strain the stock, return it to a clean stock pot or saucepan, set over medium heat and simmer until reduced by one-third. Cool to room temperature and ladle into labeled freezer bags in two-cup portions.
Make chicken stock from local poultry, either Fulton Farms or Rocky. There is no substitute for homemade chicken stock and for the best, you must use begin with good chicken, not the tasteless national brands sold in most supermarkets. Kosher chicken is also a good choice.
Chicken Stock
Makes 8 to 12 cups
6 pounds chicken (whole chicken with feet and head or backs, necks, thighs and feet)
1 yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
-- Kosher salt
If using a whole chicken, use kitchen shears or a boning knife to cut off the feet at the joint. Use a boning knife to make deep slashes in the meatiest parts of the chicken.
Set the chicken in a deep stockpot and pour 4 quarts of water over it. The chicken should be fully submerged in the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and skim off the foam that forms. Use a large spoon to press the chicken down into the water, simmer a few minutes more and skim off the newly formed foam.
Add the onion, carrot, celery and a tablespoon of kosher salt. Simmer, uncovered and without stirring, over low heat for about 4 hours, until the stock is rich and flavorful and the fat has formed a golden layer over it.
Remove from the heat and let rest for a minute or two.
Set a large strainer over a container and carefully ladle the stock through strainer into the container. (This is easier than pouring from the pot.) Transfer the carcass and vegetables to a bowl and pour the remaining liquid through the strainer.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: