Save your vegetable scraps to make homemade vegetable stock/broth!
Make sure your scraps are clean and not spoiled. Keep them in a bag in the freezer until you have enough to fill a pot with.
Here's your basic directions:
1. Heat oil in a soup pot.... Add your vegetable scraps and possibly even toss in garlic, parsley, thyme, or bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add a pinch of salt and enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables. At this point you can refrigerate the stock if you'll be using it soon or pressure can it for long term storage.
Some ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?