Lenten BORCHT

It's been quite a while since my last post because I've been super busy baking Kulich (yum), building a computer (which turned out to be quite a chore indeed), compiling a Linux kernel (what a disaster that turned out to be) and trying to figure out what to make for Pascha (still no idea what I'm going to cook).

So as you can see, I've got plenty of things I can blog about, but my time is limited. For this reason I decided to get back to basics with this post -- a recipe for BORCHT (pronounced "BOORSHT"). If you're wondering why I keep putting BORCHT in capital letters, allow me to enlighten you.

BORCHT is a Russian/Slavic Beet Soup, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot say (or even think) about the word BORCHT without picturing a stout Russian man wearing a heavy coat and one of those furry hats, with a scowl on his face, shouting "BOORSHT." And I just don't feel that "borcht" accurately conveys the tone of voice and pronunciation of that Russian man in my head.

But I digress.

This recipe was given to me by Mat D (thanks Mat D!). However, I should point out that the original recipe came from Matushka (I think she is a Matushka -- someone correct me if I am wrong) Gerry Glagolev.

LENTEN BORCHT

Indregients:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Vegetable oil for saute
• 1 Small head of cabbage, shredded
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Dill
• 1 - 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Can julienne beets (1 pound)
• 1 Can julienne carrots (1 pound)
• 1 Small can of tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 - 3 Pieces of sour salt (in the Kosher section of your grocery store)
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil until semi-brown.
2. Add cabbage and cook until limp.
3. Add parsley and stir together to blend flavors.
4. Add drained vegetables (reserve juice).
5. Fry vegetables in a little of the onion mixture to flavor.
6. Add salt and pepper. Stir well.
7. Add all liquids (reserved water), juices and tomato sauce. Stir.
8. Add sugar, dill, and bay leaf. Stir.
9. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.
10. Serve will a dollop of sour cream (if desired).
11. Say a prayer.
12. Eat and enjoy!

Now, I have to say, I don't particularly like BORCHT (sorry Mat D). I just have a lot of trouble eating anything that is the color of Ox blood. But you should be fair to this dish and give it a try (even if you don't like beets). I tried it, and to be perfectly honest, the beets don't overwhelm the soup. I still can't say I love this soup -- I probably won't ever make it myself, but I know there are lots of BORCHT lovers out there, so I felt it was my duty to spread this recipe (hopefully Matushka Gerry won't mind).

Comments welcome.