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02/01/2017 11:01 PMAll of my great-grandparents were born in Poland, along with my grandfather, PaDoc. While he was alive, he claimed to remember the boat trip in 1908 across the Atlantic when he was three. He told my uncle about riding the train from New York City to Chicago with his mother and four sisters. As he remembered it, the train stopped in the middle of a large field where his father was waiting for them with open arms.
By chance, we sometimes still have a strong link to our heritage. For most of us, though, it’s a fragile thread—a photo album, a piece of embroidery, or a smattering of words in the native tongue. For instance, I can still remember my grandfather’s phone conversations, punctuated with “tak, tak, tak,” (“Yes, yes , yes.”), and ending with a determined “dobry!”—”Good!” But over time the connection becomes hazy like our earliest memories, which in fact they are. They are our ancestral memories.
Luckily, there’s food. Each time I make this soup, red beet borscht, it plucks the chords of my Slavic soul. It has that unique sweet, sour, dill tang that’s typical of so many Polish dishes. It’s loaded with the best wintertime vegetables—fresh beets, carrots, and cabbage. Eating it you’ll realize how wise our ancestors were—and how well they ate.
It’s a simple formula they practiced: whole foods in season. Now in the 21st century, this grand-daughter of a Polish immigrant has continued the tradition, with a tweak. I forego meat in my meals and emphasize a plant-based diet.
This soup can be a great kick-start to eating healthier during these dark winter months. It makes a big pot. But fear not, it freezes well. It’s one of those soups that gets better with age. It’s best served hot with some dark rye or pierogis, or even chilled.
Want to learn more about healthy eating?
J. Morris Hicks, author of Healthy Eating: Healthy World and 4Leaf Guide to Vibrant Health will speak Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Guilford Free Library, 67 Park Street, Guilford. The topic is “Food, Health, Planet: Our Future as a Species.” Having concluded that our food choices hold the key to better health on a personal level and sustainability for our species on a global level, he has made it his top priority to encourage individuals to move toward a natural, whole foods, plant based diet. The event is sponsored by CT Shoreline Vegans., and you can find out more about them at CTShorelineVegans.com, or on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Red Beet Borscht
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced lengthwise (2 cups)
4 cup coarsely shredded beets
4 cup coarsely shredded cabbage
2 cup coarsely shredded carrots
1 ½ cup thinly sliced celery
1 Tbsp minced garlic
12 cup vegetable stock or water
– if water, add 3 boullion cubes, or 1 Tbsp salt
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dill seed
1 tsp celery seed
¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley
½ cup of fresh chopped dill
2 bay leaves
2 to 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
In a large soup pot, sauté onions until browned on edges, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, and minced garlic. Stir to mix.
Add three quarts vegetable stock or water. If using water, add boullion cubes (3 or so) or 1 T salt.
Add tomato paste and spices, including fresh parsley and dill.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup in the uncovered pot for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice, adjust salt. Discard bay leaves before serving.