I have been meaning to add this recipe because it is a good spring and summer recipe. It's called summer borscht because you use fresh greens. They didn't have greens in winter in the old days. It is also considered a spring tonic or cleanser.
One essential plant for home gardeners is a sorrel plant. It is hardy and comes up early so you can make fresh soup and salad in early spring. Sorrel leaves are also great in salads and can be used in sauces for fish.
As kids we used to eat zuaromp in the garden all the time. The taste is tart and lemony. It was decades before I realized that the English name was sorrel.
The French use sorrel in sauces, maybe someone can share their favourite recipes.
You should be able to easily find fresh dill and parsley in your local store, but summer savory you may have to grow yourself from seed and freeze. If you don't have any, leave it out, but make a note to buy some seeds next year.
Summer Borscht
Ingredients:
Ham hock with bone or 4 beef short ribs with bones
4-5 large potatoes, preferably Island ambers or other waxy potatoes (red ones work too), diced with peel
4 cups fresh sorrel leaves (can be frozen)
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
1 bunch flat Italian parsley, with stems, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
10 or more peppercorns
1 bunch fresh, frozen, or dried summer savory
Sea salt (to taste)
Sour cream or heavy cream
Instructions:
Simmer a meat in a large pot of water for 2 hours. This can be done the night before.
Cool in the frig overnight or go straight to the next step.
Remove the meat and bone from the pot and put it on a plate.
Cut the meat off the bone, cut into small pieces and add back to the soup, leaving a bit of fat if you like it. Discard the extra fat, skin and bones. I can never resist a few nibbles of the fat first though. Don't skim the fat from the stock because it contains nutrients and adds so much flavour.
Wash 5 large potatoes, trim any blemishes, cut into 1 inch pieces and add them to the soup. Don't peel the potatoes.
Chop parsley including stems, and add to the pot.
Chop dill removing thick stems and add to the pot.
Chop the sorrel leaves
Put peppercorns and summer savory into a spice ball and add to the pot.
Depending on the saltiness of the ham, season the soup with salt.
Simmer until the potatoes are done, about 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and when the soup has cooled slightly, add cream or serve on the side at the table.
Serve with Perfect Kneadless Brown Bread on the side and a dollop of sour cream on top.
Notes:
Cousin Betty always uses an onion and a full tablespoon of peppercorns.
Marina also adds beet leaves.
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The Winnipeg Free Press printed a recipe today for "Like d'8schtove somma borscht":
ReplyDelete1 lb farmer’s sausage, crumbled
5 quarts water
2 large onions, diced fine
¼ cup fresh dill weed, stems removed
1 bunch green onions, diced fine
2 tbsp sorrel, chopped fine (or spinach leaves mixed with lemon juice)
1 cup beet leaves, chopped fine
6 cups potatoes, diced (about 4 -5 russets)
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup vinegar
Bring water to a boil. Add farmer sausage. Skim scum for 20 minutes. Add onions and cook another 20 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until potatotes are tender (about 15 to 20 minutes).