Oddly enough...

... I was in a soup mood yesterday. I KNOW, it's so warm nowadays, how could anybody even THINK of making soup??? Honestly... I was in an overly air-conditioned bus. That's all. I wrapped my hoodie tight around me (lucky I brought one!) and daydreamed of a special soup that I'd tried in a class I took during the fall semester, during a presentation on the culture and food of Ukraine.

Borscht.

Yes, it's a weird name, and some people might think the concept (borscht is a beet-based soup) is weird too, but it is delicious. There are several variations of borscht, some hot, some cold, some sweet and tangy, others savory, buttery, warm... goodness. That's the kind of borscht I'm talkin' about today. I wanted something warm and comforting, filled with veggies... and that's exactly what I got. It's simple to make, and so yummy. It'll be great when it's 20 degrees out and the kids are coming in covered with snow... or, in my case, you're trudging home from class, trying to get the feeling back into your fingers. And yeah, because even though I might dream of snowy winter days it is undeniably still summer (91 degrees today! Yipe!), I'll also post a cold borscht recipe. (I used Trader Joe's Baby Beets for this recipe, however, if you haven't a Trader Joe's near you, canned will work fine... or if you have a bunch of smallish fresh beets from the farmers' market, that's the best! Just scrub off the dirt, cut the stems off and boil them until they're nice and tender. And if the greens look good, keep them and cook 'em up too. Beet greens are DELISH.)

Hot Borscht

about 1 pound of beets, grated or pulsed a few times in a food processor
1.5-2 cups water (or the cooking/canning liquid from your beets of choice)
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 small-med onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 good-sized carrot or 2 small ones, chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
butter
salt and pepper

Bring the liquid (whether it be water or otherwise) to a boil then turn off heat and add bouillon cubes... stir to dissolve. Add grated beets and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium and saute the garlic, onion, celery and carrot; this makes what is known as a mirepoix, or a flavorful vegetable base. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the onions are translucent and the celery and carrots are tender, add the liquid and beets and stir everything together well. Since everything is cooked at this point, turn heat down low and simmer for 5-7 minutes stirring, just long enough for the flavors to incorporate, then serve with some yummy crusty bread and butter! Yumyumyumyummmm...

Cold Borscht (adapted from cooks.com)

2 lbs. beets, peeled (if necessary) & grated
1 onion, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 qt. water
1/8 c. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice or apple cider/red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
a few coriander seeds
fresh dill
Greek yogurt/sour cream for garnish

If the beets are raw, simmer them along with the onions, celery and coriander seeds in the water for about 30 minutes. Stir in sugar, season with salt to taste; let cool for 30 minutes or so, then add the lemon juice and some of the fresh dill. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more, then garnish with the yogurt/sour cream (you could also mix some dill in with the yogurt!) and enjoy. This recipe will make lots of soup, so get ready for some leftovers! (But hey, at least you don't have to reheat it ^_^)

Enjoy the summer while we still have it, kids.

Ciao!