borscht

It is colder than a snowman's toe today!

Days like this call for Borscht!

I don't think anyone in my family makes borscht the same way but I need to get my secret recipe down on paper before I forget.

I bake my beets wrapped in tinfoil for about an hour, Martha says that this helps keep the colour and I love bright red yummy beets. Another plus is that the beet skin peels right off easy as pie. The picture above is of the beets cooked and cooled, I guess if there has to be a plus to -35 weather it is that it works good for cooling beets quickly.

(your freezer would work too)While my beets bake I boil 8 cups of water, 1/4 cup butter and 8 tsp of veggie stalk. I also add 1tsp salt just because I like it and 1 tsp of pepper.

Next I saute just until soft, a full head of chopped cabbage, bite size pieces, in 1/4 cup butter. I use 1/8 cup butter to saute the onions before I pulverize them into smithereens with my magic bullet. I am not an onion fan, in fact, if I eat onion rings I pick out the onion and just eat the batter. It is my strong Russian roots that won't let me make a borscht without them. As long as they are pulverized I'm OK with that.

I chop LOTS of dill, a cup of fresh is not too much but dried I'd use less (that's aunty Connie's tip....her fresh organic dill is THE BEST. If you are local I'll let you know how to stalk up next summer, HINT: Borden Farmer's Market!)

I also add 2 cups each of carrots, potatoes and celery. I use 5 beets and that usually works out to about 3 cups.

I let it boil and simmer all afternoon and by the time the cheese buns are ready the borscht is tasting greater than ever.

There are so many takes on a great borscht recipe, this is just one style. I'd love to figure out the vitamin content one day!