My Magnolia Summer

by Victoria Benton Frank

“How do you feel about a Tuscan kale and white bean soup?” I asked the kitchen. “Sounds good to me! We actually have a ton of canned white beans in dry storage,” Miller said. “Perfect, let’s use it. Zero cost. I like it. How about potatoes and lemons?” I asked. “Do we have enough chicken stock?” Ben spoke up. “We still have tons from the other day. We had some leftover bones, and I just thought why not use all the scraps and make some extra. We can freeze extra, right?” “Yes, absolutely, but don’t worry about that, we’ll use it. A good stock is the spine of most recipes. I’m really impressed by your initiative, man! Go grab a gallon of stock, some potatoes, lemons, red pepper flakes, and the beans, and let’s give this a whirl,” I said. “What about adding some sausage? We’ve got a ton of it, and we need to use it,” Miller said.