Try those recipes:
Borshch Moskovsky
(Moscow-Style Beet Soup)
To serve 6 to 8
2 tablespoons of butter
1/ 2 cup of finely chopped onions
1 1/ 2 pounds of beets, peeled and cut into strips 1/8 inch wide by 2 inches long (5 cups)
1/ 4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped *
2 teaspoons of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts of beef stock **
1/ 2 pound of white cabbage, quartered, cored and coarsely shredded
1/ 4 pound of boiled ham, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/ 4 pound all-beef frankfurters, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 pound boiled brisket from the stock, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 sprigs parsley, tied together with 1 bay leaf
1/ 2 cup of finely cut fresh dill or chopped parsley
1 cup of sour cream
In a 6- to 8-quart pot, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the beets, then add the wine vinegar, sugar, chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Pour in 1/ 2 cup of stock, cover the pan and simmer undisturbed for 50 minutes.
Pour the remaining stock into the pot and add the chopped cabbage. Bring to a boil, then stir in the ham, frankfurters and beef. Submerge parsley and bay leaf in the soup, add another teaspoon of salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 1/ 2 hour.
Transfer the borsch to a large tureen and sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley. Accompany the soup with a bowl of sour cream, to be added to the borsch at the discretion of each diner.
* Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds. Run them under cold water and peel them. Cut out the stem, then slice them in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves gently to remove the juices and seeds then chop them coarsely and set aside.
Borshch Ukrainsky
(Ukrainian vStyle Beet Soup)
To serve 6 to 8
4 medium tomatoes
4 tablespoons of butter
1 finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 pound of beets, trimmed of leaves and coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/ 2 celery root, peeled and coarsely grated (1 cup)
1 parsley root, peeled an coarsely grated (1 cup)
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated (1 cup)
1/ 2 teaspoon of sugar
1/ 4cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
2 quarts of beef stock, fresh (see below ) or canned (Swanson-s)
1 pound of boiled potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/ 2 inch chunks
1 pound of cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded
1 pound of boiled brisket (see below ), or 1 pound of boiled ham cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
1/ 2 pint of sour cream
Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds. Run them under cold water and peel them. Cut out the stem, then slice them in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves gently to remove the juices and seeds then chop them coarsely and set aside. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet or casserole, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add onions and garlic and, stirringly frequently, cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly colored. Stir in the beets, celery root, parsley root, parsnip, half the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt and 1 1/ 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then partially cover the pot and lower the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining stock into a 6- to 8-quart casserole and add the potatoes and cabbage. Bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered for 20minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. When the vegetable mixture has cooked its allotted time, add it to the casserole with the remaining tomatoes and the meat. Simmer partially covered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dish is heated. Taste for seasoning. Pour into a tureen, sprinkle with parsley and serve accompanied by sour cream.
BEEF STOCK
1 pound of fresh lean brisket of beef
5 pounds of beef marrow bones, cracked
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, scraped
2 celery tops, 6 sprigs of parsley and 2 bay leaves tied together with a string
1 tablespoon of salt
In a heavy 6- to 8-quart pot, bring the pound of beef, beef bones and 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam and scum as they rise to the surface. Add the onion, carrot, tied greens and salt, partially cover the port and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Remove the meat from the port with a slotted spoon, cut into small dice and set the dice aside. Continue to simmer the stock partially covered, for about 4 hours longer. Then strain the stock through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, discarding the bones and greens. With a large spoon, skim off and discard as much of the surface fat as you can.