Goose, Barley, and White Bean Soup

One of my earliest memories of my grandmother involves this soup. We lived on the same farm as she and my grandfather (JI Rodale), and her kitchen was always open for us to run in and out of. My little brother and I were raised like farm animals and found food wherever we could, and once--on one very special day--she had made this soup and sat me down at her little round kitchen table and served it in a formal white china bowl with good silver and a linen napkin. I can still picture it in my mind and taste it in my heart. I never got a recipe from her (she wasn't a recipe kind of woman), but I have recreated it by taste.

It's a very simple soup. You could substitute chicken broth, but there is something very rich and wonderful about goose broth that makes it just perfect. Of course, in order to make goose broth, you need to roast a goose first and eat every morsel. I highly, highly recommend roast goose for a perfect autumn or winter meal.

To make the broth, all you need to do is boil and simmer the carcass in water for a few hours until it looks like broth, then strain the gunk out of it. It's easy! All it takes is time. And salt. Don't forget the salt. All broths need a good amount of salt to taste right. If you don't want to make soup right away, you can freeze the broth for later. That's what I did!

Goose, Barley and White Bean Soup

• 4 to 6 cups goose broth
• 1 cup barley
• 1 can beans
• Salt and pepper

1. Make the goose broth, or thaw it from the freezer and heat it in a pot.
2. In a separate pan, cook the barley according to instructions.
3. When the barley is done, add it to the broth.
4. Put a can of white beans into the soup (I drain most of the liquid from it).
5. Salt, pepper to taste.

For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com