Borscht - per request!

Classic Ukrainian Borscht from: Please to the Table - A Russian Cookbook
STOCK:
1½ lb. beef chuck, shank or flank
1 meaty ham bone (about 1 lb.)
2 beef marrow bones (about 1 lb.)
3 qts. water
1 onion
1 carrot, peeled
2 medium sized parsnips, peeled
1 rib celery with leaves
Bouquet garni (3 dill sprigs, 3 parsley sprigs, 4 bay leaves and 10 black peppercorns tied in a cheesecloth bag)
salt, to taste

SOUP:
2 large beets (about 1¼ lb.)
4 med. sized boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 lb. fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 can (16 oz.) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
salt, to taste
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into julienne
1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 c. shredded green cabbage
¼ c. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
3 Tbs. tomato paste
5-6 pitted dried prunes, chopped (I use 1 container of baby food prunes!)
1 tsp. sugar or to taste
freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, plus additional for garnish
3 Tbs. chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish
sour cream


1. Preheat oven to 375º.  
2. In a large soup pot, bring the meat, bones and water to a boil over high heat, periodically skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
3. Add remaining stock ingredients and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, at least 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, wash and dry the beets and wrap each one separately in aluminum foil.  Bake the beets until tender, 1¼ hours.
5. Allow the beets to cool until manageable, then stem, and peel them and cut into julienne or fine dice.
6. When the stock is ready, removed the beef, ham bone, and marrow bones, and set all but the marrow bones aside (I feed the meat to the dog!)  Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pot and discard all the solids.
7. Bring the stock to a boil, add the potatoes and tomatoes (if using fresh),  and season with salt.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
8. While the vegetables are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, and green pepper and saute over medium heat until the onion and green pepper are slightly softened, 5 minutes.  Stir in the cabbage and continue to saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is softened, 10 minutes more.  Add the vegetables to the soup.
9. Sprinkle the beets with ¼ c. lemon juice and add them to the soup.  Stir the soup an d simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.  
10. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and prunes.  Season to taste with sugar, pepper and additional lemon juice and salt, if desired.  Simmer another 7 minutes.  
11. Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and scrape all the meat off the ham bone.  Add to the soup. (As I mentioned, I omit this step!!)
12. Remove the borscht from the heat and sprinkle with the minced garlic and parsley and dill.  Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.  Serve garnished with additional chopped fresh herbs and pass the sour cream.  REALLY good after a day or two!

Ahhh....Fall

Since I'm am, as usual, a day late and a dollar short, I want to take this time to belatedly honor all of our Veterans. If I could find it, I would have also included the photo of my late father-in-law in his Navy picture. My dad (ret.) and brother represent the Montana Air National Guard in this picture, although Justin also served in the U.S. Navy and is now a member of the Oregon Air National Guard. My thoughts also turn to Tiana's former pen pal, Jaime Ibarra of the U.S. Army (we haven't heard from him in awhile -- perhaps due to the stress of lengthy deployment?), and many others. Thank you.

On Monday at school they had a Veterans' Day assembly. Tiana chose to sing a solo in honor of the veterans and the price they have paid that we might be free. There will hopefully be a video of it soon that I can upload (I took it, but my friend has to transfer it to DVD before I can transfer it here!), but if you would like to HEAR her sing, to the right, click the "down" arrow in the "Select a Podcast or mp3" box and select "God Bless USA solo" and the press "play". Like I said, the video will come shortly -- I hope!
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Tonight it is a very typically wet Seattle fall night. I thought it would be quite fitting to have soup for dinner. I used one of my favorite recipes that I got from my mother-in-law and I'm quite sure she wouldn't mind if I shared it with you! This makes TONS!! Beware!!

Main Dish Minestrone

6 Tbs. butter or margarine
3 large carrots, sliced
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
2 medium onions, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small head of cabbage, coarsely sliced (about 1½ pounds)
1- 16oz can Tomatoes (has anyone ever seen one?!?!)
1/3 c. regular long-grain rice or orzo (I used shells)
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 large zucchini, sliced
2-15¼-19 oz. cans kidney beans, drained
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach
½ c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

About 1½ hours before serving:
In 8 qt. Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, in hot butter or margarine cook carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and cabbage until vegetables are browned, about 20 minutes stirring frequently. Add tomatoes with their liquid, next 8 ingredients, and 8 cups water, over high heat, heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender. Add beans and frozen spinach; cook over medium heat until spinach is cooked and beans are heated through. Add more water if necessary; soup becomes thick upon standing. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes about 18 cups or 9 main-dish servings. About 285 calories per serving.