Sweet Miso & Saffron Winter Sipping Stock

A good sipping stock is a staple in my kitchen all winter long. After making your first pot of perfect stock, you’ll never be able to return to the boxed version. Making stock is the perfect lazy Sunday activity — adding saffron to this recipe will make your entire house smell wonderful all afternoon.I sip stock hot first thing in the cooler mornings of winter, with extra black pepper cracked in, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, and an extra drizzle of sesame oil or ghee.

It primes digestion in the dry seasons and warms the body, not to mention that the nutrients will have your skin glowing. Try packing a hot cup of this stock in a mug for your morning commute in place of coffee!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp fresh organic ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 organic shallot, peeled
• 1 inch piece organic ceylon cinnamon bark
• 1 tsp organic cumin seed
• 1 head organic garlic, halved crosswise (like saturn)
• 1 head organic fennel
• 4 inch strip organic kombu
• 2 organic carrots
• 1 organic parsnip
• 8 dried organic shiitake mushrooms
• 3 tbsp organic chickpea miso
• 1 tbsp cold-pressed sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon organic black peppercorn
• 15 threads Strands of Sunshine™ saffron threads
• 10 stems organic cilantro
• Sea salt to taste

Assembly:

1. Using a mandoline, shave the shallot, fennel, carrots, and parsnip into fine slices, or thinly slice with a knife.
2. Heat the sesame oil over a medium flame in a large stock pot, then add the grated ginger, cinnamon bark and cumin seed.
3. Fry a few seconds, until aromatic, then add the vegetable slices and garlic halves and saute a few moments.
4. Add filtered water to cover the mixture by a couple of inches, then add the peppercorns and saffron and bring to a boil uncovered.
5. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add the cilantro, shiitake, and kombu.
6. Cook over very low heat for 30-40 minutes or until the stock is concentrated and reduced by about a quarter.
7. Strain the broth, pressing down on the solids to release all the liquid, then return the strained stock to the pot and whisk in the chickpea miso.
8. Taste, and season with salt.

Sip throughout the day, or use stock for cooking grains, beans, or soups throughout the week.Cottage Inside is a Doula Practice in Los Angeles. It is the dream and prayer of Morgan Lynn, a Zen student and certified Birth and Postpartum Doula trained in the Ayurvedic tradition. An avid home cook, Morgan grows much of the food for her kitchen in her Runyon Canyon garden, following the principles of the Biodynamic French Intensive Method.Picture credit: Morgan Lynn