A homemade, Italian meat broth that is delicate and light.

This meat broth is made from a combination of meats and vegetables. This is not stock. It is not meant to be intense and concentrated.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds beef and veal, meat and bones (you can include chicken)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 peeled carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 medium, peeled, yellow onion
• 1 fresh, ripe tomato (you can substitute 1 whole, canned tomato)
• 1 sprig of flat leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs black peppercorns

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a large stockpot, pour in enough water to cover by 2 inches and place over a high heat.
2. When the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to very low and skim off the froth. Cover the pot with the lid askew. Let gently simmer for 3 hours.
3. When the broth is done, pour through a strainer and let it cool completely.

Note: You can store this broth in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can freeze and save for soups or risottos. Pour the cool stock into ice-cube trays and freeze. Once frozen put the cubes into a plastic bag and keep in your freezer for times when you might be tempted to reach for a boullion cube.

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Zuppa: Soups From The Italian Countryside, by Anne Bianchi
Beginning with basic brodo, or broth, Zuppa! explores a different soup category in every chapter, from bean soups ("poor of ingredients but rich in appeal") to fish, meat, grain, and cream soups. Sidebars focus on such fundamentals as choosing the right soup pot, de-fatting stocks, and clarifying broths. Illustrated throughout with black and-white photographs, Zuppa! is a pungent evocation of a region where ancient traditions are still central to everyday life-and an indispensable collection for anyone who relishes great soup, Italianstyle.