EverGreen Farm Recipes

Beef Borscht

In trying to find an internet recipe for Borscht, I discovered several facts. Just as the basic ingredients for chili are beans, peppers, tomatoes, etc., the basic ingredients for Borscht might be beets, carrots, garlic, cabbage, potatoes, and plenty of dill.  Borscht, like chili, can vary between families and between Russians, Ukranians, Poles, etc.  However, many of the Borscht recipes on the internet are given poor reviews by those of Eastern European ethnicity because some of the ingredients are not typical to genuine Borscht. Would we add lettuce or oranges to a chilli recipe? Nor should we add cloves, sugar, parsnips, or celery in making traditional Borscht.

BEEF BORSCHT

Time: 3 hours. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

2 Lbs beef shank (a soup bone in addition is also nice)
6 C water
1 onion medium, quartered
2 carrots medium, peeled and quartered
1 6oz tomato paste
3 red beets medium, scrubbed well and cut into julienne strips
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ Lb cabbage shredded
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped coarsely
1 bay leaf
2 T red-wine vinegar
1 Lb potatoes, cubed (I like the Yukon or reds unpeeled)
2 t sea salt
taste freshly ground black pepper
⅓ C dill, chopped

For the garnish:
    sour cream
    dill, chopped

In a Dutch oven, brown the beef on all sides.  Add 6 cups of water, quartered onion and carrots.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to simmer gently for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Stir in and dissolve the tomato paste.  Add the beets strips, minced garlic, shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and red-wine vinegar.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to simmer gently for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Add the cubed potatoes and remove the meat.  After discarding the bones, slice the meat and return it back into the pot. Add the salt, pepper, and the dill. Return to a boil for about 2 minutes.

Serve the soup, topped with some sour cream and sprinkle with some dill.

Copyright 2008 by Beth Piepenburg. All rights reserved.

French Onion Soup

From The Demlers

 

What you need for 4 servings (but you can prepare a large amount of soup and freeze. Add bread and cheese when re-heating):

· 4 large onions (can use ½ leeks)

· 2 Tbsp. butter

· 2 Tbsp. flour

· 4 cups water

· 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

· Herb bouquet (1 parsley sprig, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf)

· ½ tsp. salt

· Dash ground pepper

· 2/3 cups white wine

· 4 slices French bread

· ¾ cup grated Jarlsberg or cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 450.

Saute peeled and sliced onions in skillet in butter over low heat until soft and lightly brown. Sprinkle with flour. Add water, stirring. Crumble bouillon cubes and add to pan. 

Add bouquet, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Cover. Cook about 20 min’s. add wine. 

{optional- crisp bread in pan with olive oil, salt and garlic}

Transfer soup to individual oven-proof bowls. Place sliced bread on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Heat for about 10 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden.

Steak Soup

This soup is definitly a favorite!  Other garden veggies can be added to the pot as well as those on this ingredients list.

1 lb.  round steak (or other beef) cut in 1/2 inch pieces      
2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes, equivalent of fresh
½-1 C butter                                             
2 quarts beef stock or consommé
1 C flour                                                       
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped                        
1 tbsp. Worcertershire
3 stalks celery, sliced                            
1 C half and half
3 large carrots, halved and sliced

Brown meat in butter, then stir in the flour until smooth.  Add onion, carrots and celery and cook 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper to taste.  Add Worcestershire.  Simmer 1 – 3 hours.  It will get slightly thicker the longer it cooks.  Add the half and half during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

(This is a single recipe,  but I usually double or triple it so we can have leftovers.)

Ministrone

A good recipe to use up all those veggies! 

1 lb. round steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes                         
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. unsalted butter                                                         
5 tbsp. Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped
4 – 6 cloves garlic, finely minced                                                                      
3 – 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice                              
2 tsp. dried (3tsp. fresh) oregano
1 onion cut into 1/4 inch dice                                                      
1 leek (white part and 1 inch green) rinsed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch slices                  
1 1/2 tsp. dried (3-4 tsp. fresh) basil                  
3 C finely shredded cabbage                                             
1 tsp. coarsely ground
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices                      
black pepper & salt, to taste
2 – 3 potatoes washed and cut into 1/4 - in. dice                  
3/4 C dried red kidney beans, cooked and drained, or 2 C canned
1 1/2 C fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths                      
3 ribs celery, sliced                                                                        
4 C  beef stock                                                                                             
2 C  chicken stock 
4 plum tomatoes cut in ¼ in. dice (or 15 oz. can, diced)
1/2 - 3/4  C small pasta
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown the meat in the butter in a large soup pot, about 10 minutes.  Remove meat and add the garlic, carrots, onion, green beans and leek and raise the heat slightly.  Cover and wilt the vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cabbage, zucchini, potato, both stocks and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add 2 tbsp. of the parsley, the oregano, basil, pepper and salt.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Add the kidney beans, tomatoes and pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Adjust seasonings and heat through.  Stir in remaining parsley before serving.  Pass the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Kale and Bean Soup

1 tbsp of olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups of fresh chopped kale
4 cups of chicken broth
2-15 oz cans of white beans, any kind
2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of chopped parsley

In a large pot, heat olive oil then add garlic and onion. Sauté these ingredients until soft. Add kale and sauté until wilted. Add the 2 cups of beans, 3 cups of broth, tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Using a blender, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Mix into soup. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve it in bowls and garnish with parsley.

Carrot Curry Soup

1 small onion finely chopped
3 cups of carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
4-6 tbsp. butter
3 cups of chicken stock
1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream
2tbsp of curry powder
Salt and Pepper

Melt butter in large saucepan, sauté onion 5 minutes until transparent, and then add the carrots. Cook for 5 or more minutes and add stock. Cook another 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Puree in the blender or if you want a very velvety texure, put through a strainer. Return the soup to the pan and whisk in milk or cream. Add seasoning to taste. Garnish with crème graiche and chopped parsley.

Leek and Potato Soup

2 pounds of Dark Red Norland Potatoes
1 bunch of Leek (about 1 pound)
3/4 pound of bacon
32 oz. of sodium-free chicken stock
1 pint of heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Peel potatoes, dice (into bite-sized pieces), and put in a pot with enough chicken stock to cover. Wash and finely chop white part of leek stalk only. Add leek to potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat, uncover, and simmer until done (about 25 minutes). Remove 1/2 of soup stock and puree in a blender. Return soup base to soup stock. While boiling potatoes, cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble, and add to soup. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. For a real treat serve soup in a bread bowl.

Potato, Bacon and Kale Soup

2 pounds of Dark Red Norland Potatoes
1 bunch of Kale
3/4 pound of bacon
1 garlic clove
1 cup of heavy cream
5 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and put in a pot with enough cold, salted water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat, uncover, and simmer until done (about 25 minutes). Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Break up the potatoes with a masher (they should be lumpy, not mashed). While boiling potatoes, cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Drain grease from bacon and crumble. Drain the bacon grease, reserving it to cook the kale. Return 1/2 potato and crumble bacon to the bacon pot.

Stem and chop kale. Mince garlic. Cook half the Kale and garlic in two tbsp of leftover bacon grease and 2 1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar. Add kale to the potatoes and bacon and then repeat the process with the other half of Kale and garlic. Add 1/2 of reserved cooking liquid to potato/kale pot and begin to simmer. Make a soup base by blending the remaining potatoes and cooking liquid. Add soup stock to simmering potatoes and kale. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until ready to serve.