Recipes

Wife of Warren King and celebrated “kitchen witch”, Kate sends us a treasured recipe from her childhood. She often spent weekends away in Ft. Francis, Ontario with her friend Shaunalee and Shaunalee’s Ukrainian grandparents, “Baba and Gido”.

Baba’s Borscht

Serves Many

 

Author’s Notes:

It seems like a hard recipe at first because it is so long but don’t let this recipe scare you off. Many of the ingredients are optional. Some people make their Borscht with just cabbage and beets! You’ll notice that Borscht is essentially a variety of tomato soup!

 

What this Borscht recipe adds are a variety of root vegetables, which studies indicate Americans do not eat enough of. We tend to eat “above ground” produce that are missing essential nutrients only found in root vegetables. If you have other root vegetables in the frig and any assortment of greens, they can be used. The mixed greens should equal about 1-2 C chopped and the only greens that are required are the beet greens, at least ½ cup.

 

Also, this recipe may be prepared meatless, using only water, vegetables, and spices to make it savory. 

 

Ingredients

·         12 oz. dark red beets, greens cut off, washed thoroughly, chopped

·         Optional:

*1 small rutabaga, cut in quarters

*2-3 parsnips, washed, and cut in half if large, kept whole if small

*1-2 celeriac, cut in half

*2 small potatoes or sweet potatoes, cut in half

*2-3 turnips cut in half if large, kept whole if small. If you have sweet mild radish greens from Russian or daikon, use more generously.

·         1 lb meat: Beef or pork roast, beef or pork ribs, or beef or pork sausage; save bones to use for home-made stock

·         1-2 C flour for dredging

·         2 Tbsp oil (lard or melted butter)

·         6 C beef or pork stock

·         1 x 28 oz can whole plum or regular tomatoes with juice, chopped

·         2-3 C green & red cabbage, chopped

·         2 medium onions, chopped

·         2-3 medium carrots, sliced

·         2 -3 medium celery stalks, bok choy, and/or fennel

·         Half the celery “greens”, chopped

·         1-2 C TOTAL “greens”, at least ½ C beet greens and rest collards, spinach, kale, kohlrabi, lettuces, Swiss chard, or mustard greens, chopped

·         ½ small can tomato paste

·         2-3 Tb red wine vinegar

·         1 Tb lemon juice

·         4 cloves garlic that are first “browned” (with skin on, caramelize in sauté pan with no oil until the cloves are burnt and soft; peel burnt skin and mash to a paste.)

·         ½ tsp salt or to taste–careful with the salt!

·         3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

·         1-2 tsp rosemary (optional)

·         2 tsp sugar (optional)

·         sour cream or yogurt

·         fresh dill

 

Procedure

1.       Roasting or baking root vegetables is the secret to a great Borscht! Heat oven to 400 F.

2.       Grease two baking sheets, one for beets, the other for the rest of the root vegetables.

3.       Wrap the beets in aluminum foil, left whole, and bake until they can be pierced easily with a fork, but not mushy, about 1 hour. 

4.       Put all your root vegetables on the other sheet, coat them with a slight amount of olive oil and bake, uncovered, simultaneously while the beets are baking. They will cook at varying times so check for doneness every 15 minutes or so.  When soft, not mushy, take the cooked vegetables out of pan and set aside, and continue to cook the rest in the same manner until all are done. 

5.       Let them cool. Peel any that are necessary (esp the beets), then either cut into cubes or cut into thin strips, depending on your preference.

While the vegetables are roasting:

1. Dredge meat in flour.
2. Heat in a large pot 2 Tb of butter. 
3. Brown the meat on all sides, whether cooked or uncooked.
4. Stir in the 6 C of stock and the chopped tomatoes with the juice.
5. Bring to a boil. 
6. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes.
7. Stir in: Cabbage, onion, carrots, sliced celery stalks (or other stalks), and the tomato paste.
8. Simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables and meat are tender, about 30 minutes.

All-together now:

1. Gently stir in the roasted beets along with the other baked root vegetables that have been cut into bit size pieces; add any “greens” you have—especially the beet greens. Also add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mashed garlic, salt to taste, pepper, rosemary, and 1 C water.
2. Simmer, partially covered for about 25 minutes.
3. Taste. If too sour for your liking, add the sugar. At this point you may want to thin the soup by adding 1-2 C water. Some folks like their Borscht to be so thick that a spoon will stand up in it, others like a thinner soup.
4. Garnish bowls of soup with a generous amount of dill and sour cream or yogurt, if preferred.
5. Borscht is delicious served with rye bread or “black” bread and butter.

So now you know which ingredients will garner a grander new year...but how do to put them all together?  Dan Bobel, Director of Foodservice at Goodness Greeness, offers a couple recipes for success that are sure to brighten the new 2007 year (good-luck ingredients are starred*).

Hoppin’ John
Serves 8

4 cups Black-Eyed Peas*, dried
1 3-kilo can Carmelina Certified Organic Tomatoes, diced
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 bunch Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Tabasco
2 Tbsp Salt, Guistos
Black Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Lime Juice, Lakewood
5 cups New Native Pecans

Reconstitute beans in water over night. Drain and rinse.
Sauté green onion and celery until translucent.
Add diced tomatoes.
Add beans, salt, Tabasco, lime juice, and pecans.
Let simmer for 1 hour.
Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

Lentil Soup with Kale
Serves 6

1 cup Lentils*
7 cups Vegetable Stock
4 cups Kale*, chopped in 1/2 inch strips
1 Onion*, large, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Celery stalk, chopped
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1 Carrot*, medium, chopped
3 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp thyme
Pepper, to taste

Reconstitute beans in water over night. Drain and rinse.
In large pot, sauté onions in olive oil. Add parsley and bay leaf.
Add celery; after two minutes add carrots until bright in color.
Add lentils and tomatoes and stir in kale. Keep stirring.
When kale is wilted, add rest of stock and seasoning. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Braised Collards
Serves 5

5 bunches Collard Greens*
1/4 pound Salt Pork*, diced
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 Onions, large, diced
6 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

De-stem and wash collards.
Sauté and brown salt pork.
Add diced onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
Add collards and chicken stock. Stir and let simmer for 3 minutes.
Add vinegar, stir well, and serve hot.

Baked Apples
Serves 6

6 Apples*, Arkansas Blacks or Granny Smiths
6 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
Clove Honey*
Cinnamon, ground
Vanilla Ice cream or soy alternative

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Peel and core apples.
Place apples close together on a baking pan.
Insert tablespoon butter in each apple core.
Fill remaining of core with honey, liberally.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes.
Serve with dollop of ice cream or soy alternative.

Happy New Year!
Dan Bobel