Ingredient Title Chef Category

Don't skip a beet

Anyone who grew up on the prairie grew up with beet pickles. And to meet a beet pickle is to forever love the beet and all of his brothers, no matter what camouflage they are wearing.

Unless your heritage was Russian you probably didn't grow up with the hearty soup called borscht. Borscht is to the Russian cook as stew is the American. Everybody has a version and actually the borscht pot will accept almost any vegetable, as will the stew pot.

The first Russian settlement in the "lower 48" was on the coast about a two hour drive north of San Francisco. The Russians hunted seal and furs and fish and built a fort that is now on highway 1. The Fort Ross Historic Park is an interesting place to visit where in the summertime they cook borscht in a large iron pot over an open fire and ladle it out just as the early settlers did. The recipe they use is a vegetarian version and easy to make.

FORT ROSS VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

Serve garnished with dill and sour cream (low-fat sour cream works just fine).

3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
l medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon caraway or rye seeds
5 to 6 cups vegetable broth
5 medium to large beets, peeled and cubed
4 potatoes, cut into large cubes
2 carrots, chopped
large head of cabbage, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Dill, optional for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic, onion and caraway seeds; saute for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Add broth, vegetables, vinegar and honey. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A standard for all cooking done by Russia's Georgian people is a dish made of pureed beets with herbs and ground walnuts. However the dish can be made from any number of different vegetables such as spinach, leeks (1 pound, cut off all but 2-inches of green tops and boil in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, using minced fresh dill instead of coriander seed) radish or cauliflower greens. According to Darra Goldstein who wrote, The Georgian Feast, the dish is often prepared using the hands to do the mixing.

BEET PUREE (CharkhlisMkhali)

Rely upon your palate for the amount of vinegar. The puree should taste slightly sharp, but never vinegary.

1 pound beets
1/2cup shelled walnuts
3 garlic cloves peeled
l/2 teaspoon salt
l/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon coriander seed
1 or 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, to taste

Bake unpeeled beets at 375 F. for 1 to ¸ hours, until tender. (If you are short of time, the beets may be boiled, but their flavor will not be as good.) Grind together the walnuts, garlic and salt. Add cilantro and parsley and continue grinding to make a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl. When the beets are soft, peel them and finely grate them in food processor. Mix together the grated beets and the ground walnut mixture, then stir in remaining ingredients. Keep tasting, as the amount of vinegar needed depends on the sweetness of the beets. This dish should be slightly tart. Chill at least 2 hours, but bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Note: When using greens (spinach, beet, radish or cauliflower) rather than beets, cook 1 pound until tender, 5 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture, then mince finely and follow directions above using a little less salt and coriander seed.

Harvard beets are and old-fashioned accompaniment for anything beef. Since they are made with some sugar and vinegar they are much like beet pickles but you don't have to go through the pickling process.

HARVARD BEETS

Who knows where the name comes from? These sweet-sour beets are delicious. The quick-to-make recipe can be varied by adding a tablespoon of orange marmalade. Beets love oranges; I sometimes add orange segments to this dish.

2 cup cooked or canned beets, sliced or diced
l/2 cup granulated sugar
l tablespoon cornstarch
l/2 teaspoon salt
3 whole cloves
l/4 cup mild vinegar or white wine
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon orange marmalade, optional

Stir together in a saucepan or double-boiler the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cloves. Then stir in the vinegar. Cook and stir until the sauce is clear. Add the beets and cook over hot water for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving stir in the butter and marmalade. Makes 6 servings.

YOU CAN'T BEAT BEETS FOR COLOR, FLAVOR, INTEREST AND ECONOMY.

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