A Sorry Soup

The cookbook FOOD for the body for the soul was published in 1943, in a time of rationing and making do.  Even so, today's recipe seems born of unusually desperate times.  You are down to the last of the vegetables in the root cellar and the last bony pieces of the goose that has sustained you all week? Time to pull out the recipe for Wintry Day Soup! I picture this recipe being devised by a pioneer family snowed in at their tiny prarie home, relying on the root vegetables from Ma's little kitchen garden to get them through until spring. 

WINTRY DAY SOUP

1 1/2 pounds ground gooseneck meat [I know geese are pretty large birds, but how many do you think it would take to get a pound and a half of neck meat?]

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 bunch celery

1 bunch carrots

1 large onion

2 or 3 parsnips

Potatoes (optional)

Roll seasoned meat in small balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and drop as you roll them into kettle containing 3 quarts of cold water and 1 TBS. of salt [yikes!]. Place over medium low burner. Water will gradually become hotter so meat juice does not escape from last of meatballs. Add 1 bunch celery, 1 bunch carrots, one large onion, 2 or 3 parsnips which have been cut up [presumably 'cut up' applies to all of the veggies]. Also potatoes if desired. Simmer at least one hour. 10 large servings.