Preparing Russian Borscht with a Cuisinart Elite Food Processor and Wusthof Classic Knives

When I lived in Philadelphia, I enjoyed a lot of meals next door with my neighbors. Mrs. M is a terrific cook and I always appreciated dining with her and her family. They introduced me to numerous native Russian dishes. My personal favorite was Mrs. M’s borscht, which she taught me to put together. Her borscht is so famous with my family that I quadruple her recipe. Having nine vegetables and four fresh herbs, I use my Wusthof Classic knife set in order to make some of it plus a Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor in order to save time with the remainder.

Mrs. M’s borscht is incredibly amazing and eating it merely once is not enough - hence, the multiple batch. This is certainly a beautiful intense fuchsia soup dotted with colorful, perfectly proportioned diced vegetables. After supper, I offer everybody a takeout container of borscht for the next day. I am grateful to have discovered that with a sharp Wusthof Classic knife set along with a Cuisinart Elite food processor, I can cut prep time for this recipe in half.

I am sharing Mrs. M’s original recipe with you, that for one meal, serves four persons. It does not require hours of simmering, and so more of the preparation is in cutting the vegetables. Modify your simmer time to your own preference for veggie crispness. I add the bell peppers, green beans, and peas at the very last moment, however, you may well prefer that they simmer somewhat longer.

Vegetables:

• 2 small red beets (the smaller, the tastier)


• 2 small potatoes, diced into small pieces equal in size to red beet pieces


• 2 medium carrots, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 small onion, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 cup green string beans, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen


• 1 red bell pepper, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 2 tomatoes, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1/4 small head of cabbage, shredded and chopped

I use my Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor for the following ingredients: onion, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro. For the remainder of the ingredients, I use my Wusthof Classic knife set.

Pare the beets and cut into tiny pieces. Place the beets in a saucepan and pour cold water on top of them so that you have 2" of water covering the beets. Bring to a boil and then add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add 1/8 teaspoon of lemon acid powder (available in Russian markets) and a little bit more cool water. Lessen the heat and simmer for one hour until beets are soft.

Shred and also chop up the cabbage. Put it in a separate stockpot and fill it midway with water. Add 2 bay leaves and also 5 peppercorns. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into tiny pieces. Peel and dice the carrots and onion. Add these to the pot with your cabbage and bring it to a boil once again. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add peas, green beans, red pepper, and tomatoes. Bring this to a boil again and simmer for five minutes. Add salt, freshly ground pepper, and a handful of freshly chopped basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro (all of these herbs combined total one handful).

Add the beets and their broth to the pot of vegetables and the borscht is ready. Ladle into bowls and finish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and also a garnish of fresh dill.

To read more about the Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor or the Wusthof Classic knife set, kindly visit us at Tools for Kitchens.