Stone Soup Recipe (as featured at Mountain of the Sun Festival)

Those who attended the Mountain of the Sun Music Festival this weekend at Aspen Valley Ranch had the opportunity to taste a delicious culinary interpretation of the old folk story Stone Soup -- check out the children's book by Marcia Brown. The story goes that travelers arrive in a village carrying nothing but an empty cooking pot. The villagers are initially unwilling to share their food with the strangers, so the travelers fill the pot with water from a stream, drop a large stone in, and place it over a hot fire. Curious about what the travelers are cooking, one of the villagers asks what they are making. They reply that they are making "stone soup," which tastes delicious but needs a few more ingredients to improve the flavor. The villager doesn't mind sparing a few carrots and adds them to the soup. Eventually the other villagers each add more ingredients to the soup until they have a tasty and nourishing pot of soup for all to enjoy!

The wonderful thing about stone soup is that in addition to fostering a sense of community and cooperation, you don't need a recipe. You simply throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand. Our version featured a local bounty of potatoes, carrots, okra, squash, onion, jalapeno, and turnips from Harlan Wolfe Ranch and Venetucci Farm. The key ingredient in the story is the stone, which you don't have to include, but somehow it just doesn't seem the same without it. If you use your stone again, when you boil it in water it will release the delicious flavors of the first soup. 

"Heat some water in a pot. 

Add some stones you've scrubbed a lot.

Sprinkle pepper, salt and herbs.

Let it boil undisturbed.

Drop in carrots, onions, too.

Let the soup heat through and through.

Stir in milk to make it sweet.

Add potatoes for a treat.

Toss in meat cubes. Let it stew.

Let it bubble, let it brew.

Taste the soup and when it's done,

share Stone Soup with EVERYONE!"

If you would like to use a recipe for some guidance, check this one out: http://spoonful.com/recipes/stone-soup