Bialy Barszcz and Zupa Ogorkowa

Dear Anais
These two recipes are more for Mure really, than for you. Not that you don't enjoy them, but she has really taken to enjoy them. I know that in Colorado you probably can't find a good loaf of bakery rye bread and some Krakus ham to enjoy these soups with, but a good smoked ham sandwich might do. The white borscht takes a little advanced preparation, but as much as you love science I don't see this being a problem for you. It too is a creamy sour soup like the pickles soup.

Zupa Ogorkowa
or Pickles soup
6c Water
1 Veg Bullion cube
1/2 c pickle juice
4 large barrel pickles chopped (do not use sweet pickles YUCK!)
2 1/2 c cubed potatoes
2 Tb flour
1 c Milk
1/4 c Sour cream
2 Tb butter
2 Tb chopped fresh dill

Combine the water veg cube , pickles, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Combine flour and milk, and slowly and to the broth. Add the butter at the end. Add chopped fresh dill and sour cream for garnish/flavor.
Notes: Fresh barrel pickles are the best, but if you do not have these in your area a refrigerated dill pickle will be the closest substitute.


Bialy Barszcz
White borscht
2c wheat flour
water
veg bullion or veg stock
1/2 c dried mushrooms
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 potatoes cubed

Scald 2c whole wheat flour with boiling water pouring in enough to get a thin dough. When it cools add 1 3/4 pints luke warm water and place a piece of whole wheat bread crust in it. Pour into a glass jar, tie with gauze and leave in a warm place for 3 days. Cook 1 3/4 pints of vegstock with dried mushrooms and add 3/4 pints white borscht to the hot stock. Do not strain. Add more white borscht if not sour enough. Add crushed garlic cloves and potatoes. Salt to taste. It is traditional to serve with half a boiled egg and a pork sausage (like a banger). I think it would taste well with chopped bacon or rye crip crackers and spready cheese. It is usually served at Easter time and it can be made with rye flour too.

witches brew

Dear Anais,
You have by now returned to Colorado without me. But while you were here we made this delicious dish together; witches brew. I found this recipe on another blog- The art of manliness. I love this blog! If you are a fella, you must get thee to it. But I digress, this recipe was posted there. Nearly all the recipes required sausage bacon or ground beef (and this one was no exception) but you could easily modify this a million different ways for low fat or vegetarian tastes. I think you could even add greens to it and it would taste delish. Maybe the title itself implies throwing whatever the witch has on hand in the pot? We gobbled up this simple dish in two days, and I only modified it slightly (my mods are in red text).

Witches Brew

1 package precooked bacon
1 pound grass fed beef
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1 large can 28 oz tomatoes
1 large can kidney beans
1 can mushrooms, undrained
1 bag egg noodles dumpling
3 gloves garlic minced

My instructions are a little more involved that the manly ones given of brown beef, drain fat, throw all in the dutch oven at 350 oven for one hour. I recommend thus; crisp bacon in microwave oven per package instructions, set aside to cool. Brown the ground beef in a skillet take some of the reserve fat and use it to saute the onions garlic and celery. When they are translucent throw everything in the pot and let simmer for a half hour or as long as you can go without the delicious aroma killing you! While the cauldron bubbles, cook the bag of egg noodles. Serve over the noodles-YUM!

Notes: You can make endless variations with this dish, but some starters might be with ground pork, white beans, and some collard greens? Or even you could go all veg with some boca crumbles, bacon bits/smoke flavor and black beans? How about ground chicken , cannelini beans, some spinach and ditalini for a fantastic fagioli? Now you and Daddy can eat this at least once a week...I think you could even do it up in the crock pot!

Tajin salsa

This recipeI am not writing to Anais, as she is here with me!!! Hooray!

She helped me come up with this delicious salsa.

1/2 c finely diced jicama

1/2 c finely diced mango

2 cloves garlic, shredded or minced

1/2 c onion finely diced

one packet tajin seasoning (or roughly 1 teaspoon I think, if you have it in the jar)

1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

I can diced tomatoes and green chiles (I used store bough, but rotelle will also work)

Combine and serve with fine Mexican style chips (no, Tostidos or Doritos are not in that category! Be adventurous, try it with blue corn or something.)