Borscht

I realize I haven't blogged in awhile, we've been incredibly busy. School is definitely my main time-eater. As you all know, I have been pursuing my BA and it's been quite the haul. I am actually supposed to be studying for my final on Thursday but whipped up this diddy last night and was so excited by the flavours that I had to post it. I have been taking some pictures of my creations too and they will slowly find their way up on the blog soon!

Every year, Jordan and I make the long trek back to his roots in Saskatchewan. He has several family members living there and it's always a treat to get to spend some time with them. The majority of our time is spent with his grandparents who are warm and inviting. I've always enjoyed helping his grandmother prepare meals in the kitchen, watching her bring family recipes to life and then serving them with pride. We always leave with care packages for the daunting drive back to the coast, lovingly prepared by both of his grandparents, and we are always so grateful for their generosity. Included in this care package is a staple of Jordan's childhood - Mennonite pork sausage. Jordan could eat this stuff with perogies every day of his life I think...As his wife, I try to come up with creative ways to use the sausage that he enjoys and I am happy to report, I've found another way!

As I took the last link out of the deep freeze yesterday, I thought to myself - this better be good! I had never made borscht before and I honestly shied away from it because I felt like the flavours weren't complex enough to be tasty because all it is, essentially, is boiled vegetables in water. There are no fancy seasonings, no family-kept secrets, borscht is just the most lovely example of what it means to be simple, clean and delicious.

Lepp's Family Farm Market, in Abbotsford is run by a local mennonite family and we LOVE it. This market provides fresh, local food all year round that just tastes soooo much better than the stuff coming across the seas. I mean, who needs to eat strawberries in December?! I find the winter months the most challenging to cook locally but, as a result, we eat A LOT of root vegetables and squashes. Although I am going to miss my kale through the long winter, I look forward to the challenge of preparing healthy winter food!! My point is, shop local and ask questions if the source of your food is a mystery!

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and grated
3 large beets, peeled and grated
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 medium sized head of organic purple cabbage, cored and finely sliced
2 organic yellow onions, chopped
2 quarts water
5 cloves of garlic, minced.
1 large can diced tomatoes (low sodium)
1 can tomato paste
1 link Mennonite-style pork sausage, de-cased and crumbled

1. Take the pork meat out of the sausage casing by scoring the sides. Scrape the casing with a spoon to get all the meat out and fry the pork in a pan on medium-high heat until cooked. Remove from pan, pat with paper towel to remove excess oil and set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil.
3. Add crumbled sausage to the pot, cover and bring the water back up to a boil.
4. Add the grated beet to the pot and cook on high until the beets have lost their colour (they'll be a light pink).
5. Add the can of diced tomatoes.
6. Add carrot and potato to the pot and cook on high heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender, Approx 15 mins.
7. Add the sliced cabbage and the garlic.
8. In the pan you cooked your sausage in, add your chopped onions. Cook until soft.
9. Add tomato paste and 1/2 of water to the onions and combine. Remove from heat.
10. Check to make sure the potatoes are tender by piercing them with a fork.
11. If so, add the onion and tomato paste mixture and stir well.
12. Cook for 5 minutes on high. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
13. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt in the middle!!

Enjoy!