borscht garden

From this...

To this...

To this (yum!)...

Michelle and Catherine shared garden #15, and after Michelle came up with the brilliant idea of planting a borscht garden, they put in potato, cabbage, dill, onion and beets. The end result? Delicious!

Catherine's favorite recipe, from the Moosewood Cookbook:

Russian Cabbage Borsch

1 1/2 cups of thinly sliced potato

1 cup thinly sliced beets

4 cups of water

1 to 2 Tbs butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp salt (more or less, to taste)

1 stalk celery

1 medium carrot, sliced

3 to 4 cups shredded cabbage

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dill (more if using fresh)

1 to 2 Tbs cider vinegar

1 to 2 Tbs brown sugar

1 cup tomato paste

Toppings: sour cream or yogurt, extra dill

1) Place potatoes, beets and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender (20 to 30 minutes).

2) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot. Add onion and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent (8 to 10 minutes).

3) Add celery, carrots, and cabbage, plus 2 cups of the cooking water from the potatoes and beets. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (another 8 to 10 minutes).

4) Add the remaining ingredients (including all the potato and beet water), cover and simmer for at least 15 more minutes. Taste to correct seasoning, and serve hot, topped with sour cream or yogurt and a sprig of dill.