There is among our friends a group of (mostly) ladies who get together occasionally to play Mexican Train. The routine is to meet at noon and begin playing immediately. Nuts, candies, and snacks are set out for munching. However, the focus is not on the food; it is on the game. After the game is played, and only then, a meal is served.
This week, I decided to host this group. The problem is that these ladies do not drive at night, and darkness comes rather quickly around 5 p.m. Some have expressed concern that cooking a meal is too much of a burden to put on the person who voluntarily opens her home. Anyone who knows me well knows I prefer to take an easy way to accomplish any task. And today’s Mexican Train gathering is no exception.
· The first lady I invited said, “Let me bring something to contribute to the meal.”
· The next lady said, “Don’t go to all the work of preparing a meal.”
· And the third person said, “What can I contribute?”
By the time I called the fourth person, I had decided to keep the food very simple. Stew is easy to prepare, perfect for cold weather, and can be packaged in quart jars to transport leftovers. But still the ladies did not want to impose. So, I declared the recipe for the meal is Stone Soup. I have made Nail Soup in the past, but it is far inferior to a soup base prepared with my special, aged rock.
The stone I use came from the Mendenhall Glacier many years ago. It is dark gray in color…almost black. Its shape and size are that of an egg. It used to be smooth, but now it contains small chips and pocks caused from years of use. Long ago, it was used to strike matches for lighting kindling in our fireplace, but it is no longer useful for that.
I boiled the stone (and a few seasonings) for a little while. Lady #1 brought carrots; #2 onions, #3 celery, and #4 potatoes. Removing the stone from the pot, I add all the contributed ingredients and allow the stew to steep. The aroma of a stew stirred with God’s “Love one another” verses permeates the air.
Now, back to the game.
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1 comment:
I have always loved your stone soup, my dear,and this batch was wonderful too. The resultant stew today was a perfect rainy day choice for your guests today and for my dinner later.
More than anything, it is truly a community style meal and the more folk that contribute, the more complex, intriguing, and interactive the contents and its flavors become.
That magical stone has achieved such legendary and valued status at this point, and we may need to write it into our wills for the heirloom it has become.
Maybe we can introduce it to Dana next month so she can come to appreciate the miracle as much as do the rest of us.
After all, one of our grandkids might become a famous chef. How about it, Eli?
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