Ah, February in Chicago. The time of year when a girl’s thoughts turn to those of a soupy nature. And borscht is the perfect soup for this time of year. Usually, by the time February rolls around, I've grown tired of chicken soup. Regardless of how good it may be for the soul, I’ve been eating it since November and I’m ready for something different. Plus, borscht’s lovely deep purplish red hue makes it suitable for Valentine’s Day. And what better way to say "I love you" than with a nice, steaming hot bowl of beet soup?
The word borscht comes from Yiddish, and Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe first brought the hearty soup to the States. Jewish, Polish, Russian, and other Eastern European immigrants began to put down roots in Chicago in the early twentieth century. My grandparents were among them. You can read more about the early immigrant experience in Chicago here.
The borscht I tend to find in the Polish or Jewish sections at my local supermarkets is usually a smooth liquid with no vegetable chunks. Russian Tea Time restaurant in the Loop offers Ukrainian borscht on their menu; this version has chunks of vegetables and beef, with sour cream served on the side. I’ve also encountered a more pinkish version of borscht, where the cream is already mixed right in.
This recipe is for a chunky, vegetarian version of borscht. It can easily be made vegan if you swap out the regular butter for vegan butter or margarine. You can add more or less sugar depending on your preference, and sour cream can be served on the side if you wish. If you double the recipe, you can freeze the leftovers and save them for that cold snap that will inevitably come some time in March. And, as an added bonus, the fresh dill garnish smells like summer.
Borscht
makes about 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 large beet, washed and grated
1 c. red cabbage, shredded or chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1-2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 c. butter
2 c. vegetable stock
1 small carrot, grated
½ medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp. sugar
Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions:
Combine the beet, cabbage, potato, tomatoes, vinegar, and broth in a large saucepan. Do not be alarmed when you realize that the beet has turned your hands red. Add half of the butter. Simmer for about an hour.
In a small saucepan, melt the rest of the butter and fry the carrot and onion until they’re golden. Add this to the beet mixture. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the sugar. Garnish with fresh dill.
Pink Peep S'mores
Chicago is known as the "candy capital of the world." Almost half of the country's processed cocoa comes from the Chicago-based Blommer Chocolate Company. If the wind is blowing in just the right direction, you can smell the chocolate in the downtown air coming from their West Loop processing plant. And the Ferrara candy company, which makes conversation hearts in addition to Lemonheads, Red Hots, and other sugary favorites, was founded in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood. Their headquarters are now located in the Old Chicago Main Post Office building in the Loop. You can read more about Chicago's candy connections here.
I found a box of pink Peeps next to the conversation hearts on a recent trip to the drugstore, and decided to see how a li'l pink chick would taste in a s'more sandwich. The result was better than I expected. I used a square of dark chocolate to keep it from being too cloyingly sweet. Thanks to a helpful tip on the back of the box of graham crackers, I microwaved this sandwich of sweetness for 8 seconds, which softened up the marshmallow just enough to make it easy to eat. Down the hatch!
Well, Chicago is one of the candy capitals of the world. ;-)
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