... Even if it is only Stone Soup!
That's what my Dad used to call the leftovers he would lump together in a pot to stew for hours on the stove. Stone Soup? What the heck was that? Sure didn't sound like a very tasty recipe but it turned out to be a fantastic one nonetheless!
Dad told us Stone Soup was a one of a soldiers main staples in the field during WWII (which may have been true to some extent given desolate locations from their headquarters). But, I ventured to find out the real story behind Stone Soup, and here it is:
A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows. The stranger smiled and asked, "Why are you all so frightened? I am a simple traveler looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal."
"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on."
"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the broth and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear.
"Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."
Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.
"Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."
The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.
The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group...
"T'was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic."
And there you have it! The Stone Soup Truth.
My Stone Soup, however, is not made up from ingredients provided by friendly "villagers" of course. Instead, I take just about any left-over food-stuffs (that are still edible), mix them with pasta, vegetables,(cheese too if you please) spices and pop it into the oven in a roasting pan.
After about one-hour or so on a low heat, all those wonderful left-overs are baked into one of the tastiest dishes you'll ever have. And seconds are always available!
So, when your family says, "There's nothing in the house to eat!" tell them they're wrong about that because there's always something to make a delicious Stone Soup with!