The Beet Goes On

Summer 2022

BriarPatch Food Co-op |

The Beet Goes On

There are as many versions of borscht as there are babulyas, mociutes and bubbes, but one thing nearly everyone agrees on is that borscht is a favorite in former Eastern Bloc kitchens across Eastern Europe. Hot, cold, veggie- or meat-based, this jewel-toned soup can be transformed from summer to winter, or hearty to bisquelike with a swap of ingredients in your pantry. Inexpensive and simple to prepare, the variations are nearly endless.

Food historians concur that the beloved soup originated in Ukraine, though the dish was culturally appropriated through Russian occupation and cemented in its culture by the 1939 publication of the state propagandist cookbook The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food (gifted by the Soviet government to newlyweds), which attempted to create a national gastronomic identity throughout the Bloc. The book is still in print today. in Cyrillic, known as “borsch” in Slavic and Baltic languages, the common English spelling of borscht derives from the Yiddish transliteration, when the soup was introduced to the West primarily by Jewish refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. Classic Ukrainian borscht is tomatobased, loaded with shredded cabbage, root veggies, beets (of course!), beef or pork, and topped with sour cream and dill. It’s not unusual to see beans in many recipes as well. The spice profile is simple to nonexistent – this is about what was on hand at the time. It goes without saying borscht is a health powerhouse: beets are a good source of betaine, the phytonutrient that provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties. The key to first-class borscht is using high quality veggies and adding a bit of acid and sweetness. In summertime, pick your best sweet beets, and during the colder months, grab your pickled beets off the shelf for a lovely winter meal. Either way, the vinegar will add notes of sourness that add depth and interest that make this more than a simple soup. Though the carnivorous variety is the likely primordial, there are loads of vegetarian versions, born of scarce times when people had to make do without meat.

14 The word “borsch” simply means “sour soup,” derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or hogweed.

Green borscht is sorrel soup, commonly served in the summer. Try the recipe!

Makes 10 - 12 servings 3 lbs of your favorite summer slicing tomatoes, chopped ½ medium your favorite cabbage, shredded 2 potatoes, diced 3 medium beets, coarsely grated 3 carrots, coarsely grated 2 onions, coarsely grated 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt 1 stick unsalted butter 1 Tbsp flour or cornstarch 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar

Sour cream

Fresh dill, chopped This recipe can serve as a base borscht for lots of spin-offs. Add beans, pork, bacon, beef or chicken to your taste, or what’s in your fridge. Add tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes and 6 cups of water to a stock pot and turn on medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is very hot. Add beets and carrots and salt. Sauté the onions in butter and flour until soft, about 5-7 minutes over low-medium heat. Add to soup. Add vinegar and sugar. Cook 20 minutes to let flavors meld. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve garnished with dollops of sour cream and dill. This soup develops flavor if it sits overnight in the fridge. Serve with rye bread (or whatever you have on hand!)

Variations

Lithuanian – buttermilk, sliced boiled eggs, cucumber and radish slices to a cold version Georgian - either fresh, chopped red chili or hot chili flakes and lots of chopped fresh cilantro and dill Moldovan – uses a whole chicken for added flavor and protein (feel free to use the feet too!) Polish - The Christmas version is a clear bright-red consommé with small porcini or wild mushrooms and sauerkraut dumplings called uzska (ears).

(Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup)

Try this lighter-than-you-think summer borscht when you’re looking for a nutritious and simple cool-me-down. Serves 8 3 medium beets 1 Tbsp EVOO 2 cucumbers, coarsely grated 1 cup scallions, finely chopped 3 hard boiled eggs 1/3 cup sour cream 1 qt buttermilk 1 cup vegetable broth 8 sprigs of dill, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425º.

Place whole beets in roasting dish. Drizzle with EVOO. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender with a fork. Once cool, peel and coarsely grate into a soup pot. Add cucumbers and scallions. Finely chop two of the eggs and add to the pot, along with sour cream, buttermilk and broth. Mix well and chill. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice remaining egg into thin slices. Pour into bowls and garnish with egg and dill.

Cold Summer Borscht

Dozen beets cleaned & chopped to bite size salad-size Strips Stems & leaves also chopped like salad lettuce

All boiled together lightly salted to make a bright red soup, with beets now soft — boil an hour or more

Add Sugar & Lemon Juice to make the red liquid sweet & sour like Lemonade Chill 4 gallon(s) of beet liquid — Serve with (1) Sour Cream on table (2) Boiled small or halved potato on the side i.e. so hot potatoes don’t heat the cold soup prematurely (3) Spring salad on table to put into cold red liquid 1) Onions — sliced (spring onions) 2) Tomatoes — sliced bite-sized 3) Lettuce — ditto 4) Cucumbers — ditto 5) a few radishes