Fun of the farm

Farm broth — essentially a vegetable stock, but you can also drink it as a soup — makes everything taste better, from rice and curries, to stews, quinoa, and soups. It’s the gateway to good eating, turning everything into a richer version of itself. Without a good farm broth, soup tastes dispirited and lentils are lonely.

I mostly serve this broth straight-up in a mug, or sometimes with spring onion, crushed garlic and miso, if my brain cells aren’t too indolent. You can also freeze broth in ice-cube trays, to add to stocks and gravies as you need to.

In theory, it shouldn’t cost you anything if you giddily collect the kitchen scraps destined for your compost bin. Easy AF.

I have a special freezer bag that I fill up with all sorts of scraps and trimmings: wilted herbs, carrot peels, turnip tops, shrivelled ginger, celery leaves, broccoli stalks, fennel butts, apple skin, and even Parmesan rinds, which is a stealthy trick I learned in Sheridan cheesemongers. Add whatever you have! (Easy on the cabbage and cauli, however). The recipe, right, is a simple guideline, but honestly, no two broths will ever taste the same.

Somewhere near you is a farm that composts as much veg as they sell. Trust me — I’ve seen it. Even hotels with working gardens have tons of veg for the compost heap.

See if you can help them offload some of their surplus by surprising them with a tray of brownies one morning. A lifetime of farm broth and friendship may ensue.