We Got The Beets

I think a lot of people freak out about making borscht. This is either because they hate beets, or they think borscht is difficult to make. In reality, if you can make your garden-variety vegetable soup, you can just as easily make borscht. And if you don't like beets, you still might like borscht. It certainly has a much mellower flavor than, say, a pickled beet served on its own.

One thing I really like about borscht is that it's a great way to clean out the crisper. There are many recipes and even varieties of borscht, but the common denominator in most is two ingredients: cabbage and beets.


That's great because both of those things cost about nothing compared to most other groceries. And to me, you can make a great borscht if you have those two and a few other root vegetables. This time, I had some carrots, onions, garlic, and celery. But you can add parsnips, or even sweet potatoes. Some versions call for tomatoes. It's not rocket science. It's a simple stew. So don't over-think it. Just throw in whatever you have.

Another ingredient that I insist upon for my borscht is beef broth. There are many vegetarian-style recipes out there; and I'm sure they are tasty. But for me, I like the taste of a good beef stock for the base of the borscht. It's also a great way to get kids to eat borscht who don't normally like the taste of beets. And, in addition to the stock, I also like to add a little flesh. This can be ox-tail, stew beef, or just any kind of red meat you have lying around. Part of the reason I decided to make my borscht this week is because I had some lovely leftovers from our recent steak barbecue.

And that's it, really, for your borscht ingredients. The only other things you will want are vinegar, dill, and sour cream. The vinegar is added to your stew as you cook it, for taste. And a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt for us fat people) is added to each individual bowl when you serve. Top the sour cream with chopped dill. That little blast of fresh herbs really makes for some deliciousness.

A couple final notes about borscht. Many recipes don't require you to roast your beets before adding them to the concoction. However, I find it tastes much better if you do. And it's so easy to roast beets. Just squeeze a bit of lemon or lime on them to keep that nice ruby color; then wrap them in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for a half hour. Then set the roasted beets aside until you're ready to use them.

I usually roast two big beets, using only one for the borscht. The other, I chop up and put in tupperware with vinegar. That way I can make my famous arugula, goat cheese, and roasted beet salad later in the week.

I also used only half of the cabbage. This is because I still have some of that fucking awesome ham left over from Easter. So Jackie and I will be partaking of some wicked sauteed cabbage with ham and caraway seeds for dinner soon. Because that, my friends, is how we do it around Casa de Carne.