Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sunday

Slow-cooker borscht (recipe in the comments)
Pumpernickel bread
Green beans in tarragon onion butter

Hot tea
English toffee
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I feel like I start a lot of posts discussing some food item or preparation-style that M and I love (witness last night's risotto love) and today is no different. We love beets! With a passion! The color is fabulous and brightens winter fare and the flavor is unparalleled. We like them pickled, roasted, in risotto, straight out of the jar, and in vegetable melanges. I have been on the lookout for a borscht recipe for ages, but never found one that sounded good. Many are very complicated or simply very long to prepare. Other seem like they'd end up rather flavorless - not a good way to enjoy beets! Whole Foods, once again, comes to the rescue with a slow-cooker borscht recipe. This is easy to do, though you do have to add the cabbage about 45 minutes - 1 hour before the borscht is finished (meaning you have to be home to do so), but it's otherwise simple to prepare. The result is hearty without being heavy and highlights the wonderful beet flavor perfectly.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Beets, onion, potato (all halved); cabbage, dill
Time: 30 minutes (divided), plus 9 hours unattended
Make ahead: The whole plan

Reaction
J: "Beets me!"
M: "Da, Da,Da!"

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I love beets too! What is the recipe?!

J said...

I posted this last night, but somehow the comment didn't save. Curses! Foiled again!

Slow-Cooker Borscht – Whole Foods Market
Serves 4 to 6

2 bunches red beets
¾ pound organic russet potato, peeled and cut in half
1 large organic yellow onion, peeled and cut in quarters
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups very finely shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ -1 t salt
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
sour cream
dry dill, to garnish

Remove tops from beets and set aside for another use. Peel beets and cut in half, unless small. Place beets, potato, onion, broth, water and tomato paste in slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Immersion blend until smooth.

About an hour before you are ready to serve, bury the cabbage in the puree. Cook on high, covered, for 45 more minutes. Add dill, vinegar and lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Taste for additional vinegar and lemon. Serve soup with cooked eggs and sour cream, sprinkled with dry dill.

Unknown said...

Not beets, but still good:

Monday

Trader Joe's Thai Simmer Sauce with tofu, peas and green beans (extra points for the green beans because they were steamed and frozen by me last summer)

perfect meal for a girl who's a little under the weather and in quite a lot of weather.

J said...

You really are Betty Crocker in disguise! You just don't like to admit it :) We have a lot of weather here too and it's only getting worse. I only fell twice on the dog walk (with T on my back) today and counted myself lucky, considering our ice situation. Blick. You would like Tuesday's dinner a lot ;)