Snippet Soup

It's raining today. And the rain is turning into ice or what meteorologists refer to as freezing rain. Ah, those technical terms.

It's a perfect day for making soup. Since the roads are slick and dangerous, I am using what I have in my kitchen for the soup. It's usually a snippet of this and a slice of leftovers that goes into the broth, thus the name, "Snippet Soup".

Throughout the year, I freeze ends of carrots, bits of cabbage, potatoes and other veggies in a plastic bag. I plop a pot of water on the stove and insert the vegetable fragments bringing the mixture to a boil, then simmer for about a half hour.

This batch includes sweet corn cobs, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions and beets. I had the last of the champagne last night. Before I recycle the bottle, I filled it halfway with water, and emptied the contents into the stock pot with the veggies. Should give the soup a wonderful flavor.

Once the veggies have infused the water, I'll remove them and add a bay leaf, brown rice, and mushrooms cooked with just a touch of minced garlic. I found an Asiago cheese rind so I'll toss that into the mix. (Rinds can be rinsed and reused over and over again once there flavor is released into the stock). Top the finished product with some fresh grated black pepper. Salt is optional.

Smells fabulous. It's the perfect dish to warm the soul on an overcast day.