Hearty Borscht Soup
If you have a good beef bone to start with, this will make the soup more hearty but you can make it pure vegetable as well.
Place large beef bone or chicken bones in a large pot. If chicken, boil the bones or carcass first and pour through a strainer to remove small bones. If using a beef bone or two, or more, you can add the vegetable while the bone cooks. (try beef short ribs and cook till meat falls from the bone).
Add 1 large chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 small green or red cabbage finely chopped
6-10 grated or chopped beets
2 or 3 bay leaves,
pepper to taste
3 chopped or grated carrots
celery if you have
chopped parsley.
Cook your soup until all the vegetables are soft and the aroma fills the kitchen. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Add 3 tbsp. vinegar.
Serve in bowls topped with sour cream or yogurt and chopped dill.
Add a slice of dark rye bread with some old cheddar and enjoy the fall vegetables. You can substitute kale for the cabbage or just make with kale and add potatoes and no beets if you like. If you have chives still growing chop them and add on the sour cream.
Make it your own with what you have available in your garden.
The following are some spiced-up recipes to liven up the meals using veggies still in your garden or fresh on the shelves.
Spicy Baked beets
5 medium beets, 1 small onion, 1 small potato, 2 tbsp. each vegetable oil, vinegar white or apple cider, brown sugar. 1 tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. each pepper, celery seed and cloves.
Scrub and coarsely, shred beets and onion and potato and stir into a casserole dish. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add to veggie mix and stir.
Cover tightly and bake in 350’F, oven for 30 minutes. Stir once or twice and serve hot.
Sauteed Breaded parsnips
1# parsnips (about 4), which are scrubbed and cut into 1 or 2” lengths. Cook in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain well. In a small shallow bowl, stir together, 1/4 c. flour, 1/2 tsp. rosemary, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper.
In a large heavy skillet melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat.
Roll each piece of parsnip in seasoned flour, then saute in melted butter until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Turn often.
Very nice with lamb or beef roast or just if you like parsnips as much as I do.
You can mix the parsnips with some carrots with the same process for pretty colored vegetables.
Submitted by Ellen Lewers mrslewerfarmhouse@shaw.ca