Mr. Calvo suggests:

The legend of the stone soup (sopa da pedra)

The sopa da pedra (stone soup) is a specialty from Almeirim. There is a tale that the first man who made this soup was a very tricky and wise friar.

This friar was collecting things for charity when he arrived to a farmer's house and asked for a donation - nobody gave him anything. He was starving and said:

I'm going to see if I can make a stone soup.

Then he picked up a stone from the ground, cleaned it and started to look at it in order to see if it was good for the soup. Everybody was laughing and making fun of him. Then he replied:

So you never ate a soup of stone? I tell you it is a very good thing.

That is one thing that we want to see, the farmers joked.

That was the answer the friar wanted to hear.

Can you lend me a pot?

They lent him a pot. He filled the pot with water and put the stone inside.

Now I will put the pot on the fire and let the water boil.

When the pot started to boil he said.

With a little lard the soup tastes better.

They went to look for a piece of lard. The friar tasted the soup and he said.

I need a bit of salt and a head of cabbage if you don't mind. It is for the poor.

Then the farmer's wife went to the vegetable garden and brought the head of cabbage. The farmer and his wife were staring at the friar.

The friar cleaned the head of cabbage and cut it into pieces and put them into
the pot.

The friar's eyes were shining and he made the last request.

Do you have a chorizo? With the chorizo the soup will taste better. Even the angels would like to taste our soup.

The wife of the farmer cut a piece of chorizo and gave him. He took a piece of bread from his tunic and heated the soup. After he finished, the stone was at the bottom of the pot and the farmer asked,
-Friar, what about the stone? What are you going to do with it?

I'm going to keep it for the next time I make the soup. Good bye and God bless you….

Sopa da pedra (Stone Soup)

Ingredients for 8 people.

- 1 litre red beans
- 1 pig's ear
- 1 red chorizo (Portuguese sausage)
- 1 black chorizo (Portuguese sausage)
- 150 gr bacon
- 750 gr potatoes
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch coriander
- Salt and pepper

Put the beans in cold water for 6 hours.
Blanch and clean the pig's ear.
Boil the beans with the pig's ear and the chorizos, the bacon, onions, garlic and the bay leaf.
Season with salt and pepper, if it is necessary add more water.
Take out the meat when is cooked (approximately 30 minutes).
Chop the potatoes and the coriander and add.
When the potatoes and beans are ready (approximately 25 minutes) take the pot off the stove.
Take 1/2 cup beans and mash them and stir into the sauce to thicken it.
Slice the pig's ear, the chorizos and the bacon and add to the pot.
Get one small well-cleaned stone and put in the pot (actually helps to keep the soup warm).
Let the pot sit for 30 minutes or more for the flavors to mingle. Reheat before serving if necessary.
Normally we drink red wine from the wine cellar from Almeirim.
Enjoy!


If you want to know more please see:

http://www.ribatejo.com/ecos/index.html
http://www.adegacoopalmeirim.pt/adegadealmeirim.htm

http://www.globalwinespirits.com/wx/es-QUINTADAALORNA/PORTAL.INDEX