POLISH BEET SOUP (Barscz) 1 stick butter 5-6 lg. beets 1 onion Salt & pepper to taste 2 tbsp. vinegar 1/4 tsp. dill weed 1 pt. sour cream 1. Bring 1 1/2 quart water to boil. 2. Add butter. 3. Peel and grate onion and beets. 4. Cook approximately 1/2 hour until beets are cooked. --------------------------------------- POLISH BEET SOUP 2 lbs. spare ribs pork 1 lg. onion, diced 1 bay leaf 2-3 peppercorns 1 bunch 5-6 beets, shredded, tops and stems chopped if available 5-6 med. potatoes, cubed 1/2 to 1 tsp. salt Put first 4 ingredients in large kettle; cover with water and bring to boil. Simmer 45 minutes. Add peeled, shredded beets, tops, and stems; let come to boil. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt. Cook another hour until ribs are tender. Cook potatoes separately and add just before serving. Top with sour cream on each bowl. --------------------------------------- BORSHCHT - RUSSIAN SOUP 1 lb. boneless beef chuck 1 beef bone 1 lb. pork spareribs 2 onions 1 carrot 3 sprigs parsley 2 stalks celery 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. chicken bouillon season butter Pepper 3 med. beets 3 tomatoes 2 potatoes 1/2 head cabbage 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1/4 lb. boiled ham, turkey ham or Polish sausage, cut & sauteed until browned 1/2 c. dried white beans 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms 1 tbsp. chopped dill or 1 tsp. dry 3 cloves garlic, pressed 6 tbsp. sour cream Place beef, pork, 1 onion, 1/2 carrot, 1/2 celery and 1/2 parsley in 5 quart pot. Add 1 1/2 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt and chicken bouillon, bring to boil and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Strain stock, discard vegetables and skim fat. In separate pan cook beets in water (to cover). Let cool, peel and shred on coarse grater. Add beet water to soup stock. Either cook dried beans ahead of time, or cook with meat for stock. In heavy skillet, saute remaining vegetables, carrots, onions, celery in butter for 15 minutes. Salt to taste. Halve the tomatoes and grate on coarse grater so that the peel is left in your hand. Discard. Peel potatoes and cut each into cubes. Chop cabbage into bite-size bits. Cook together for 20 minutes. Add vegetables, ham or sausage, pepper, cooked beans, beets, tomatoes, tomato paste and simmer 5 minutes. Cut meat into bits and add along with parsley, dill and garlic. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with dollop of sour cream. Serves 6. Serve with homemade bread or rolls. -------------------------------------------- BARSZCZ CZERWONY Z USZKAMY 2.2 lb. beets 1 lb. meat for making beef broth 2 carrots 1 parsnips 1 lb. onions 8 cloves garlic 1 laurel leaf (or substitute bay leaf) 1 tsp. lemon juice Cook meat in salted water on medium low for 2-3 hours to meat broth. Skim off fat. Peel and cut all the vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic) and put in another big pot. Break laurel leaf and put it and the lemon juice over vegetables. Pour meat broth over vegetables and let stand overnight, covered. Next day: heat pot to blend in fat. Pour soup through strainer into another pot (so you strain out the vegetables). Throw out vegetables. Add the following to soup (which looks like red broth) : Salt Sugar Soy sauce Pepper Lemon juice Add these to taste. It shouldn't be too sweet. (American beets are sweeter than Polish ones, so you'll have to add more salt, pepper and garlic.) Heat over low heat. Put ears in bowl, put the beet soup over them, and eat. Smacznego!! (Polish for bon appetit.) EARS: Fry 1/4 pound ground beef. Fry 1 onion in butter. Mix onion, beef, salt, and pepper (and mushrooms are optional) in a bowl. Everything should be finely chopped. DOUGH: 3 c. flour 1 egg 1/2 c. water Mix and knead until soft. Roll out thinly. Cut into 1 inch squares. Put a little of the meat mixture in middle of square. Fold dough in half diagonally, so you have a triangle. Then fold 2 corners of triangle in towards middle, wrapping one around the other, around your finger. Seal all edges. Drop ears in pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes; drain. Put in soup bowl, 5-8 per bowl, and eat with soup. This soup is traditionally eaten as the first course on Christmas Eve in Poland. --------------------------- POLISH BORSCHT 2 or 3 lbs. beef shank 2 tsp. onion, finely chopped 3 or 4 whole allspice 3 or 4 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 2 or 3 carrots, sliced lengthwise & halved 1 stalk celery, cut into 2 inch lengths 2 cans beets, sliced 1 lb. carton sour cream 1 tbsp. vinegar 2 tsp. sugar Bowl of cold mashed potatoes Make a rich clear beef stock with beef shank covered with water and boiled. Skim off all brown scum to produce a clear broth. Add onion, allspice, peppercorns and bay leaf. Simmer about an hour until beef is tender. Add carrots and celery and continue to simmer gently until fork tender. Add beets and simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a quart saucepan, blend sour cream, vinegar, and sugar. Take 1/2 cup of hot beet soup and blend into cold sour cream mixture. Gradually continue to blend more of the hot beet soup into the sour cream mixture until it is also hot. Then combine. Turn heat off and borscht is ready to serve. Serve with cold mashed potatoes in soup bowls. Noodles may be substituted for mashed potatoes and pieces of the beef shank eaten with this Polish soup. ------------------------ BEET AND CABBAGE SOUP Boil cleaned fresh beets with beef or spare ribs until tender. Add shredded cabbage and boil again until tender. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and cool soup slightly. Add 2 heaping tablespoons sour cream. Season to taste. For a speedy dinner, use canned beets. -----------------------