Earth Week has inspired me to think even more about the food I’m eating. It’s been easy to gravitate more towards processed food in these times.
Not only do they keep well, processed foods (I’ll admit I added several boxes of pasta to my grocery pick-up list) can provide quick and easy meals while we try to efficiently work from home or make progress on home projects.
But I believe it’s better for the planet and for our bodies to eat fresh food, with as little packaging as possible. I’ve taken time this week to be extra grateful for having subscribed to a year-round CSA share (of which there are several in the area).
The CSA’s bounty created a backlog of beets in my refrigerator. I order them regularly, and mostly grate them into salads fresh. I like beets, and always intend to cook with them, but end up pushing them to the back of the drawer, waiting until I have a stroke of cooking inspiration.
Last week it was finally time. Wanting to prepare a hearty meal for my family on one of the cooler days, I opted for soup. Which left me with (to my mind) only one option: Borscht.
While I’ve eaten lots of borscht in my life, this was the first time I’d made it. Previously I’d eaten this tasty and beautiful soup while traveling in eastern Europe and when my mother or sister prepared it.
I braced myself for a multi-step cooking ordeal. After looking at a few recipes, I realized I was wrong. Borscht is a snap to make.
First, I grated several beets. You can also dice them into small chunks, but I prefer the shredded texture – plus it’s easier.
Then I grated a few carrots, until I had a medium mixing bowl full of these two wonderful root veggies. I don’t bother peeling veggies any more, just give them a good scrub.
I diced an onion, and added it to the mix. Then I put all three ingredients into a large soup pot with enough water to just cover them, and brought the pot to a boil. After it boiled, I popped a lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
After adding a couple tablespoons of butter, a few cups of soup stock, the juice of half a lemon, some chopped parsley and salt to taste I let the soup cook a little longer, and then it was ready to be quickly consumed by my family.
As per tradition, I served this deep pink dish with chives (from my herb garden) sprinkled on top, boiled cubed potatoes and half a hard boiled egg — these can be served on the side or in the bowl with the soup, which is my preference.
A dollop of sour cream tops this meal off. Now that I’ve discovered how simple and quick it is to make, I think my family will be eating plenty of it until beet season wraps up.
It isn’t haute cuisine, but it sure makes me happy.
Borscht is particularly popular in the Baltic countries (shoutout to my Lithuanian heritage), Ukraine and Russia. I feel it should be popular in West Virginia, too.
This week, let’s all make borscht or other seasonal soups and stews, made of good ingredients, which are available locally this time of year, and reflect on what wonderful food the earth can give us if we treat it well.
ALDONA BIRD is a journalist, exploring possibilities of local productivity and sustainable living in Preston County.
