Borscht-making is J.’s job, and this is his grandpa’s recipe. I have a copy of an email Poppy sent me in 2002, passing this recipe on to us. I love that we have this email from him preserved as part of our cooking and family history.
The problem with making borscht is that it can be very, very messy. We were lucky this time — nothing dropped, splattered, or otherwise altered our very white kitchen from its natural state. We also use the recipe just as a guide: we wanted to use up all the beets from our farm share, which was probably about double what the recipe called for (I had two almost melon-sized beets from a couple of weeks ago, plus this week’s share). With that quantity of beets, three fresh lemons provided the right amount of zing.
We served this soup tonight with pumpernickel bread my parents brought from Rockland Bakery, plus boiled potatoes from our farm share and plenty of sour cream. It was delicious, as always. We’re freezing the rest to serve at our Hanukkah party later this month.
Poppy’s Borscht
Attributed to Mama Grossinger of the Borscht Belt
10 large beets, peeled and grated
2½ quarts water
1 onion, minced
2½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 eggs
boiled potatoes and sour cream (optional, to serve with it)
Combine the beets, water, onion, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, over low heat for about an hour. Using an immersion blender, puree beet mixture until almost smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice. Cook an additional 10 minutes and adjust seasoning.
Beat eggs in a small bowl, and temper with the hot borscht to prevent curdling. Then add egg mixture to the pot of borscht, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and allow soup to cool. Chill thoroughly before serving (overnight is best).
This is a post I started over the summer, when we were receiving lots of cilantro from our farm share.
J. and I both make guacamole similarly, which is unusual for us — we tend to each have our own way of doing things, and we also have our own areas of specialty (he wouldn’t bake; I don’t grill — could we fall into more stereotypical gender roles?).
3 Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 small onion, minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
handful fresh cilantro, minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 lime, juiced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
kosher salt to taste
Lightly toss all ingredients in a bowl, leaving the guacamole as chunky as you like (we don’t break up the avocado much at all). Serve immediately, or bring to room temperature after refrigerating if you must make it ahead.
J. grilled steaks tonight, and as good as they were (always are), the side dishes were what we all talked about. We had homemade pickles (the cucumbers, garlic, and onion were from my CSA), CSA potatoes (Allyson, another Roxbury Farm member, gave me the heads up that they would be pink inside, just like the skins), grilled CSA sweet corn, and Basil Green Beans with Tomatoes (so yummy I made it again — basil, tomatoes, and green beans from my CSA).
I won’t lie: I was almost as excited to use up so much produce in a single meal as I was thrilled that everyone found it all delicious.
This is J.’s favorite potato salad (I like my dad’s more traditional mayo-dressed version the best) and it’s great for the summer because without mayo, it can sit on a picnic table for a while. We make it a couple of times each summer. This is one of the only dishes we cook at home where J. actually looks forward to leftovers.
I buy thin-skinned, medium-sized red potatoes, but pretty much anything other than a Russet (baking) potato will do the trick.
J.’s technique is to boil the potatoes whole and then cut them into chunks after they’re cooked. I normally do it the other way around. I’ve never really noticed a difference in flavor or texture (but with my way you won’t burn your hands) so do whichever works for you.
Mustard Vinaigrette Potato Salad
Adapted from French Potato Salad in The Joy of Cooking
2 lbs. new red potatoes
6 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. scallions, minced (or sub chives, shallots, or red onion)
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, finally chopped
6 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Cook potatoes in salted, boiling water for about 20 minutes, or until they are fork tender. If your potatoes are large, they could take up to 30 minutes to cook through. Drain potatoes, and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle, quarter each potato (or cut into large chunks) and place pieces in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over the still-warm potatoes and mix to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
J. took the day off Friday to go to an event at the boys’ school, so he cooked dinner! (I had a feeling it would pan out this way, which is why I scheduled pancakes for dinner to begin with.) Although he doesn’t get much opportunity to do so, J. is a great cook and the boys absolutely love his pancakes. They devoured them plain — they could not be convinced to try a little syrup, even for dipping. Less mess for me.
This recipe comes from my copy of The All-New, All-Purpose Joy of Cooking, which is apparently no longer published under that title (it’s called The 1997 Joy of Cooking). I use this cookbook much more as a reference for cooking techniques (I can never remember how to hard boil an egg) rather than for recipes, though this pancake recipe is a keeper. J. thinks what makes them so delicious is the sugar and vanilla. They have just a hint of sweetness, without tasting like you’re eating dessert (and leaving plenty of leeway for syrup).
Silver Dollar Pancakes
Adapted slightly from Basic Pancakes in The All-New, All-Purpose Joy of Cooking
1½ c. white whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1½ c. milk (we use 1%)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp. vanilla
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with a small pat of butter.
With a whisk, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing until they are just combined. (If batter seems too thick, add cold water by the tablespoonful until it is corrected.)
Drop batter onto the pan in small circles (about 2-3 inches across), and cook until the tops start to bubble. Then flip and cook another couple of minutes, until the bottom is browned. Take the pan off the heat in between batches, adding a new small pat of butter each time. Serve immediately.
I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .
Want to Try
Black Bean Cakes: Looks like a delicious, high-fiber way to dress up some leftover chicken.
Cook to This
"Dirty Little Secret," by All-American Rejects. We played Rock Band on our friends' Wii New Year's Eve, and had a total blast. This was my favorite song to sing. When I checked out the video today I was tickled to find it based on Postsecret!
I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .