~ Frank A. Clark

The Elves and the Shoemaker is an old fairy tale by the brothers Grimm that tells the story of an old cobbler who is the recipient of anonymous kindness.  It goes something like this:

The shoemaker, a very honest and hardworking man, was having trouble making a living at his craft.  One evening he found himself left with nothing in the world but a single piece of leather.  With a heavy heart, he cut out the leather in order to make up one last pair of shoes and went to bed.  The next morning, he awoke to find the shoes already made and sitting on the table.  The workmanship was flawless.  That day a customer came in and liked the shoes so much that he paid a premium price for them.  This enabled the shoemaker to buy enough leather for two more pairs. He cut the leather out and went to bed.  The next morning there were two beautiful pairs of shoes waiting on the table, already made.  The mysterious helper continued to make shoes for the cobbler every night and soon his business was thriving and profitable.  

One evening the shoemaker and his wife decided to stay up all night and watch from behind a curtain in order to discover the identity of their mysterious helper. At the stroke of midnight two little naked elves entered the room, sat at the cobbler's bench and began making shoes.  They worked as fast as lightning and then departed before daylight.  The next day his wife told the shoemaker, "Those little elves have made us rich.  It is a shame to see them going around this cold winter with no clothes.  I will make each of them a shirt, a coat and some pants and you can make them each a pair of tiny shoes."  The shoemaker agreed and when all the clothes were finished, they laid them on the table and hid behind the curtain to see the elves' reaction.

As usual, the elves came at midnight and went to the table to begin their work. When they saw the clothes that had been left for them, they laughed and sang with delight.  They dressed themselves and danced out the door and into the forest. The shoemaker and his wife saw them no more, but from that day forward their shoemaking business thrived and their lives were happy and full.

There is something special about anonymous gestures of kindness and love.  When I was a little girl, I used to receive letters and occasional surprise gifts from someone who called herself, "Queen Forestina".  She told me she was queen of the forest and sent me notes describing her fairy kingdom.  I loved getting letters and surprises from Queen Forestina, who I now suspect was either my mother or one of my aunts, although none of them admits to it.

This past holiday season, some unidentified individuals known as the "layaway elves" paid off layaway bills at stores around the country so that people could take home their purchases before Christmas.  Other benefactors anonymously paid the bills in the stores ahead of time, so that when shoppers reached the cash register, they were told, "The bill has already been paid."  

The next time you find yourself a little bit down, remember that the best way to forget your own troubles is to be of service to someone else, and the most humble (and fun) way to be of service to someone else is to do so anonymously.

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Cobbler is not just for dessert.  This Savory Mushroom Cobbler combines a creamy mushroom filling with a rosemary biscuit topping.  It is delicious as an appetizer, side dish or vegetarian main course.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb assorted mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and chopped or sliced

2 good sized cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Dash of cayenne

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary

5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

Optional:  4 to 8 oz soft chevre style goat cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté mushrooms for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Lower heat to medium.  Add garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, paprika and cayenne.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until mushrooms have softened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off heat.  Pour mushrooms and liquid into an 8" x 8" square glass or ceramic baking pan (should be at least 2" deep).  Wipe out saucepan and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat milk over low heat.  

Meanwhile, over low heat, melt butter in the pan you just cooked the mushrooms in.  Stir in flour and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Slowly whisk in the hot milk.  Return pan to the heat.  Simmer slowly, whisking constantly to smooth any lumps (do not boil).  Then, over low heat, cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over mushrooms in baking pan and stir everything to combine well.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and rosemary.  Add butter pieces and cut butter into flour mixture using a large fork or two knives.  Mixture will resemble cookie crumbs.

Add sour cream and milk and stir with a fork until liquid is absorbed, then use your hands to knead dough several times until a sticky ball of dough is formed.  Turn ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using your hands or a rolling pin, press out into a flat shape that is large enough to cover the mushrooms.  Lay flattened dough over mushrooms in baking pan.  Using a sharp knife, cut out 5 small holes in dough to vent.  Brush surface of dough with a little milk or some lightly beaten egg.  

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes or so. Serve hot, topped with crumbled goat cheese.

4 to 8 servings