Homemade Chicken Stock

chicken bones, carrots, celery, garlic, cheese rinds, herb stalks, and cauliflower stems

homemade chicken stock is a great thing to make when you've got extra bits left over from dinner. i'm sure many of you have made chicken stock before at home and know the joys and the world of difference it can make to your own home cooking.

throw in some onion and a couple bay leaves and your in business the 'stock market'!

i don't have a specific recipe and really its just scraps thrown into a pot and covered with water. one thing that really makes the stock special is the addition of cheese rinds, the ends of hard cheeses like parmesean are great to throw into stock. the dried out ends seem to and an extra savoury depth, without melting too much and getting all gooey. so, next time you have some hard cheesey bits left over just throw them in the freezer for your next batch of chicken or veg stock.

simmer for two hours, strain out the bits and you're done!

the consensus with stock is to always use the holy trinity of veg: carrots, celery and onions. from there its all up to you! once your chicken stock has finished cooking and cooled down you can store it in the fridge or in the freezer till needed.

on a COMPLETELY different chicken note: the lavender pekin chicks i mentioned in last weeks post hatched soon after we devoured the rhubarb jelly doughnuts with lavender sugar. the above pick is them after two days hatching. i was unsure the eggs were fertile and worried the frost may have gotten to them, but mama hen did her job well.
side note to the chicken note: these chicken will ever be used in chicken stock. the pekin breed is more of an ornamental breed and lays a lovely small aegg that wonderful poached or fried.

if pictures of baby chicks weren't enough. heres some 'springy' photos to prove spring has finally sprung here in west cork:

Flaming Purissima Tulips

the over wintering cauliflowers are getting closer to forming heads every day

the red russian and nero di toscana kales are nearing towards the great outdoors

Solaise Blue leek seedlings