What to do with leftover stock
Serve it with good bread and whichever greens look best. The difference showed up gradually, then all at once. Looking back, the comforting approach was the right call.
The middle part
If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. A kitchen scale altered my baking more than any recipe did. In April the light changes, and so does the work. Good stock is largely a series of modest, unglamorous decisions.
Second thoughts
You can get surprisingly far with a sharp knife and some persistence. I make a double batch and freeze half for busy weeks. I keep coming back to weeknight dinners, largely because it rewards persistence. Every autumn I revisit the same questions about stock.
I like braised beans that shows the marks of how it was made. The result is not perfect, but it is truthful. Most of the flavour comes from persistence rather than ingredients.
It took me three attempts to see the pattern. It took me eight attempts to see the pattern. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. I altered my mind about roasted vegetables twice while writing this. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about pickles.
Looking back, the seasonal approach was the right call.