Grammas Summa Borscht Recipes

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

GRAMMA'S SUMMA BORSCHT

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot. Gently drop the ham into the boiling water; add 1 chopped onion, dill, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover the stockpot, and simmer 1 hour.
• Remove ham from broth. Cut as much meat from the bone as possible, cut into dice, and refrigerate. Return bone and any undesirable meat chunks to the broth. Cover and let simmer an additional 3 hours.
• Remove and discard the bone and any large chunks of meat from the broth. Strain the broth through cheesecloth and return strained broth to the stockpot; place over medium heat. Add 1/2 chopped onion to the broth; season with salt and black pepper. Stir diced potatoes into the broth, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low; cook at a simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk egg, flour, and about 1/4 cup of the buttermilk together in a bowl until smooth with no lumps; set aside.
• Pour remaining buttermilk into the simmering broth. Stir egg mixture into the stockpot; bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat and reduce heat to low. Stir diced ham into the simmering soup; cook until hot, about 15 minutes.

GRANDMA'S BORSCHT (POLISH BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• caramelize the onion in some olive oil.
• Add the potatoes and fry for about 2 minutes, careful not to let the onions and potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a bit more oil if necessary.
• Add the vegetable stock and carrots. If you use fresh green beans, add them at this point. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the beets, green beans, bay leaf, and dill. Simmer for a couple of hours. Serve with sour cream if desired.

GRAMMA'S SUMMA BORSCHT

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot. Gently drop the ham into the boiling water; add 1 chopped onion, dill, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover the stockpot, and simmer 1 hour.
• Remove ham from broth. Cut as much meat from the bone as possible, cut into dice, and refrigerate. Return bone and any undesirable meat chunks to the broth. Cover and let simmer an additional 3 hours.
• Remove and discard the bone and any large chunks of meat from the broth. Strain the broth through cheesecloth and return strained broth to the stockpot; place over medium heat. Add 1/2 chopped onion to the broth; season with salt and black pepper. Stir diced potatoes into the broth, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low; cook at a simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk egg, flour, and about 1/4 cup of the buttermilk together in a bowl until smooth with no lumps; set aside.
• Pour remaining buttermilk into the simmering broth. Stir egg mixture into the stockpot; bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat and reduce heat to low. Stir diced ham into the simmering soup; cook until hot, about 15 minutes.

SOMMA (SUMMER) OR KRUT (WEED) BORSCHT

Steps:

• To the water in a large soup pot, add the farmer sausage and cook for about 1 hour: this makes your soup stock.
• Remove the pieces of sausage and let cool, then remove the casing and cut up into bit size pieces.
• Add potatoes, onion greens, dill green, parsley, sorrel, bay leaf and peppercorns (in a spice bag or container) to the stock.
• Cook this until potatoes are done.
• Add the farmer sausage pieces back into the soup.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve hot with heaping tablespoon of sour cream in each serving.
• Good served with fresh homemade brown bread.
• The farmer sausage can be substituted with a smoked ham hock.