Check out this tomato stock from Italy

This recipe is meant to be fast, so by ‘‘simmer,’’ I mean as little as five minutes and no more than 15. You can season these stocks at the end with salt and pepper to taste, or wait until you’re ready to turn them into full-fledged soups.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced anchovies

Olive oil

3 cups crushed canned tomatoes

1 sprig thyme, rosemary or basil (or a combination)

Directions

Sauté 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 2 teaspoons minced anchovies in olive oil until fragrant.

Add 3 cups crushed canned tomatoes, 3 cups water and a sprig of thyme, rosemary or basil (or a combination) if you like.

Bring to a boil, simmer, then fish out the herbs if you used them.

To try the Mexican-style: Substitute 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo for the anchovies, and add a small minced red or yellow onion to the sauté. Stir in the juice of a lime at the end.