Vegetable Stock
Makes about 11/2 quarts

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup each diced carrots, celery (including leaves), and onion
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley stems
10 whole black peppercorns
4 cups of any other coarsely chopped vegetable or vegetable scraps such as mushroom stems, potato peelings, trimmings from greens, etc.
2 bay leaves

1. Put oil in a 5-quart pot over low heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion, cover and cook gently 5 to 10 minutes or until soft but not brown. 2. Add remaining ingredients along with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 3. Line a colander or large sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Strain stock through cheesecloth, pressing out as much juice as possible, from solids with the back of a ladle or spoon.

Baked Custard

2 egg yolks, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups very hot milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Nutmeg to taste

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Butter a 1-quart baking dish or 8 ramekins. Se a shallow pan large enough to hold the baking dish or ramekins in the oven, and fill it with an inch of hot water. Beat the yolks and eggs together just enough to blend. Stir in the sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla. Strain into the baking dish or dishes and sprinkle with nutmeg. Place into the water-filled pan and bake for about 45 minutes ; the custard is set when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.