During the summers Jason and I compost all our kitchen scraps in our outdoor compost bin. By the end of the summer, the bin is full, and as winter sets in, it is difficult to get to, so we stop composting for the season. I have been feeling so guilty every time we throw kitchen scraps in the garbage (unfortunately the fruits and veggies won't turn into compost in the garbage dump due to lack of oxygen, and being mixed with battery acid, diapers, plastic, etc). I've been meaning to start worm composting indoors, but have yet to get around to making the space and buying a box (I also feel 
there's no way a small bin is going to be able to handle all the veggie scraps we create!). After chatting with Tara (one of our lovely receptionists) about it, she suggested we save all our scraps in the freezer and when I have enough, turn it into veggie stock... brilliant!Since I'm home sick today, and veggie stock seems to be one of the only things I've been able to eat, I figured now was the perfect time to test it out. I checked out Jae Steele's Get it Ripe cookbook for a recipe, dumped everything into a pot and let it simmer... super easy! In the meantime I decided to try the Immune Boast Juice... I clearly don't have the right blender, as this turned into more of a meal rather than a juice (probably not the right thing for my upset belly anyway).
The veggie stock turned out amazing! I feel proud to have made it from scratch and am excited to use it in recipes. After watching the movie Food Inc on the weekend, I feel extra inspired to try new food options, start worm composting, and go a little more out of my way to buy local & organic. If you haven't already seen this movie, I highly recommend it!
One of Jason's friends once painted me a picture of a pig for my birthday. When he gave it to me, he said it made him think of me because it was wholesome. Although I was skeptical at first, I still feel like it was an amazing compliment.
2 comments:
I've been composting in winter for about 8 years now, and it works like a charm. Of course, you have to have space in your back yard. All you have to do is spread out all of your compost in the garden in the late fall so that your composter is nearly empty, and then fill that baby up all winter long. Your scraps will keep composting up to -5 degrees Celcius, so your pile will "reduce" a bit, freeing up more space. Even if it doesn't because the weather is too cold, you should have room until the weather warms up a little.
Still, the veggie stock sounds like a wonderful idea.
Anastasia sent this info to me in an email...
"This winter was the first one in many years that I was unable to compost in the winter due to the city locking the local compost bins shut. In the summer I compost in my yard. Anyway, I found Compost Montreal-they do weekly pick-ups for any length of time that you want for $5 a week and they will bring you back the earth from the compost as well! It's a great program and I thought you might be interested. Here is a link to the montreal compost site for you to add. www.compostmontreal.com"
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