Vegetable Stock

We hardly ever throw food away at our house and, when we do, my Mother isn't very happy about it.  There is an old Tuscan saying: Non si tira via niente, which means-nothing gets thrown away. So, she saves all the ends of vegetables like the kale stems, celery ends, onion peels, etc in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. She also saves the rinds from our hard cheeses to use in her soups and stocks. Then, she makes up a vegetable stock that she can use later to make soups, risotto and other dishes.

Vegetable Stock
2 potatoes
end of celery stalk
extra carrots
stalks of kale or other greens
left over parsley
1-2 onions
1 tbl peppercorns
cheese rinds
salt to taste

1. Place all of this in a stock pot with about 3-4 quarts water depending on the amount of vegetables you have. 
2. Season with salt and bring to a simmer for about 1 hour or until broth has a nice flavor. 
3. Let cool and then pour through a colander to get a clear broth. She then places 2-4 cups of broth in plastic bags, labels them and places them in the freezer for later use.