In which another food story is meant to be shared and I'm hungry

Nail Soup (France)

Three soldiers walked along the road towards home.  They had travelled the world with their army, but now the wars were over, and they were dismissed without a coin or even a loaf of bread as thanks.

When they came to a village, they knocked at the door and asked for food, but the people there had none to share.  They asked at the next house and the next, but were told that the entire village had no food at all.

“Well,” said the soldiers, “let us make soup for you, then!  Bring a big pot of water to the village square and we will feed everyone in the village.”

This was not what the villagers expected to hear.  Full of curiosity, they came to the village square.  Someone brought a pot, and someone filled it with water.

The soldiers built a big fire, and put the pot of water on to boil.  One of them produced three shiny horseshoe nails from a pocket, and dropped them into the pot.

“This is how we make Nail Soup,” the soldiers said.  “The nails will make a wonderful soup.  But, ahh, if only we had a bit of salt and pepper.  Salt and pepper make Nail Soup so much tastier.”

One of the villagers had a bit of salt and pepper at her home, and went quickly to fetch them.  The soldiers solemnly took the salt and pepper, and added generous quantities of both to the hot water.  They tasted it, and pronounced it good enough.  “But it would be so much better if only we could add some carrots to it.  We added carrots to the Nail Soup one night in Norge, and the soup was the best we’d ever had,” they said.

Someone thought that there might be a few carrots in the back of a garden, and went quickly to fetch them.  The soldiers chopped up the carrots and added them to the pot.  “The only thing that would make the soup better now would be some potatoes.  We put potatoes in the soup one night in Flanders, and that soup was so good we sang songs about it for weeks after.”

Someone thought that there might be a barrel in the cellar with a few old potatoes, and went quickly to fetch them.  The soldiers chopped up the potatoes, and added them to the pot.  If only we had a few onions,” they lamented.  “The soup we made in Hispania had onions, and it was the best Nail Soup ever.”

Someone thought there might be some onions at the back of the pantry, and went quickly to fetch them.  Someone else remembered the turnips they had stored in a barn, and someone else remembered a small bag of beans in the pantry. 

Each person in the village was able to bring something to improve the soup, and soon the village square was filled with the odor of soup.

“All we need now are bowls and spoons,” said the soldiers.  The people ate, and talked, and sang, and everyone marveled at the wonderful soup, made from just three horseshoe nails. 

The soldiers ate more than anyone else, and before they walked away, they gave the nails to the people of the village...so that nobody there need ever be hungry again.

Cassidy’s Crepes

For the crepes:

1 cup flour

½ cup milk

½ cup water

3 eggs

2 Tbl melted butter

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the sauce:

2 cups berries, any kind

½ cup sugar

1 Tbl cornstarch

Blend all crepe ingredients in the blender on low speed until everything is mixed together well.

Place batter in an airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Whip heavy cream in a large bowl until large peaks have formed.  Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.  Fold the whipped cream and cream cheese mixture together until smooth.   Refrigerate until needed.

Heat a lightly-oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.  Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ for each crepe.  Tilt the pan with circular motions so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook for about 2 minutes until light brown on the bottom.  Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. 

To serve:

Spread cream cheese mixture on the top of a crepe, roll up the crepe around the filling, and top with berry sauce.  Plain raspberries + Nutella are also good as topping.