Summer Fruit Borscht Food

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place beets in a 3-inch deep glass dish.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Cook at 100% for 12 minutes.
• Prick plastic to release steam.
• Uncover and test beets to see if they are done.
• If not done, cook until tender.
• When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and remove stems.
• Place in food processor.
• Add apple juice and vinegar and puree until smooth.
• Remove all but 1/4 cup of the mixture and put in large bowl.
• Add ricotta to mixture (still in food processor) and blend until smooth.
• Whisk into puree and add lemon juice, buttermilk, sugar, salt and enough water to thin soup to desired consistency.
• Chill well approx 4 hours.
• Divide onion and cucumber among and put into 4 serving bowls.
• Ladle soup over and sprinkle dill on top.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and boil until beets are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Drain beets, reserving cooking water, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Rub off skins.
• Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 1 1/2 carrots, and add to stockpot. Add leek, salt, and pepper. Coarsely chop half of the dill, and add to stockpot. Cook until carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Cut beets into 1-inch chunks, and add to stockpot. Add wine, 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, and chicken stock. Let simmer until broth is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the stockpot from heat, and transfer hot soup to a large bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath to cool; skim off any fat.
• Using the small hole of a box grater, grate remaining 1/2 carrot and cucumber. Serve soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, garnished with grated carrot, grated cucumber, and remaining fresh dill. Give each serving a splash of red-wine vinegar, if desired.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
• Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper.
• Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands.
• Cut the beets in small to medium dice.
• Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

SUMMER FRUIT BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place fruit in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, zest, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Pour in wine and water and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes until the fruit is tender.
• Remove the cinnamon and cloves. Put the fruit in a blender ( remove the skins if you can, but if can't be bothered it's no big deal) and blend. Return the puree to the pan.
• Mix cornflour with 2 tbsp of the soup and then stir into the soup. Bring to the boil whilst stirring constantly.
• Allow the soup to thicken. Then chill for 2-3 hours. Serve with soured cream and mint leaves.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot until very hot.
• Add the cubed lamb, and sear until well browned. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender and translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Pour in the beef broth, vinegar, and lemon juice; add the cabbage, tomatoes, diced beets, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb and beets are tender, about 2 hours.
• Chop the beet tops, stir into the borscht, and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish the soup bowls with a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of dill after ladling in the soup.

UKRANIAN PEASANT BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, brown bacon and render fat.
• Add beef and brown.
• Cut the onion, carrot and celery in half cross-wise and add to pot with beef.
• Also add beets whole with skin, shredded cabbage and water.
• Add pepper corns and bay leaves.
• Bring to boil, then turn heat to medium low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• After an hour of cooking start boiling potatoes whole (skin on or off your choice) in a separate pot until soft (45 minutes).
• When soup is ready turn off heat, with a slotted spoon remove the celery carrot and beets.
• Discard celery and carrots or use for something else.
• Leave beets on a separate plate or bowl until cool enough to handle (10 min).
• Peel and grate beets back into the soup pot.
• Add grated carrot.
• Bring soup back to boil.
• Add vinegar and lemon juice.
• Cook 5 minutes longer.
• To serve place a boiled potato in bowl and ladle soup on top.
• Add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.
• Enjoy.

POLISH SUMMER BARSHCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Combine beef broth, beets and beet liquid in a large pot and heat.
• Mix flour and water, add to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Chill, add remaining ingredients except eggs and refrigerate.
• Serve very cold topped with chopped eggs.

SOMMA (SUMMER) OR KRUT (WEED) BORSCHT

Steps:

• To the water in a large soup pot, add the farmer sausage and cook for about 1 hour: this makes your soup stock.
• Remove the pieces of sausage and let cool, then remove the casing and cut up into bit size pieces.
• Add potatoes, onion greens, dill green, parsley, sorrel, bay leaf and peppercorns (in a spice bag or container) to the stock.
• Cook this until potatoes are done.
• Add the farmer sausage pieces back into the soup.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve hot with heaping tablespoon of sour cream in each serving.
• Good served with fresh homemade brown bread.
• The farmer sausage can be substituted with a smoked ham hock.