Vegetable Borscht~Grateful Gardens

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Look what I have found in my garden this summer?

 

This was the first one I found in my garden. EVER!
And look where I found it.
I know hey, a jumble of pumpkin, raspberry bushes, somewhere under there are also potatoes growing in containers …but then cantaloupes have been discovered too.
This mysterious cantaloupe appeared in my pumpkin/raspberry/potatoes in container/ garden this summer, …next to one of my compost bins.
Yes, I know, it’s lucky I found anything in this mess but one day, when I was out hand watering this patch, I was counting pumpkins and boy was I SHOCKED to find a cantaloupe.
I didn’t plant ANY cantaloupe seeds. I’m actually surprised too that anything grew in this patch down by my compost bin.  My sister J says raspberries grow anywhere…thanks btw J, for the new raspberry plants. I’ll put them in as soon as I clear out this mess this fall.
After I planted my main garden, I still had a few plants left and I just randomly planted them in this bed, not thinking anything would come up at all. After all, it isn’t on our underground irrigation system and the dirt is terrible.
 For years we had a weeping birch planted in this space. Although I really like birch trees, that one was always needing pruning and well, it also absorbed a ton of water and wasn’t producing anything for us to eat. When I started thinking garden sustainability, one of the first things to go was that birch. Before I planted down there this year, I meant to remove the stump and improve the soil but I never got around to it/ Was I ever surprised ANYTHING grew down there. One of the reasons I had the compost put in this area was I was wanting to build up the soil in this location. Smart thinking on my part to place my compost bin, where I wanted the new, improved garden area.
So SURPRISE, surprise, surprise….I grew a cantaloupe.
And boy was I feeling like a real farmer when that happened.
But then, on another occasion, I found another one, again surprise! Did I mention this area gets little sunshine (no water, unless I get down there with the hose) and from what I have read melons love the hot sun.
And I wasn’t the only one surprised at our bounty. Harrison who is always happy to see food even posed with our new melon friend…to be eaten forthwith.
Then it happened two more times.

 

From a plant  I didn’t even “knowingly” plant, we received four glorious cantaloupes. YOU can bet  I saved the seeds for us to plant in this same spot next year. I know four melons isn’t a lot in the big scheme of things and even eating but hey…when you have bonus food that you weren’t expecting, and it’s fruit that your family loves to boot, well you are GRATEFUL!
Then there is the produce you did plant that turns out beautifully. I have never planted cabbage before as I was concerned about the notorious white cabbage butterfly infesting our garden but this summer our first cabbages turned out beautifully. I planted two varieties this year, a green and a red. They grew to enormous sizes and 6 plants of each fed our family all summer. Next year I’m doubling that as I want to put some away for winter. Cabbage keeps great I hear.
All summer we ate coleslaw and I added cabbage to my kale salad but I was hoping that there would be one cabbage left in September so we could have our first pot of Borscht of the season.
And look what was waiting for me in the garden the other day. Another reason to be grateful.
Isn’t this Red Dynasty Cabbage a sight for sore eyes…..something my grandmother would have said…but it’s beautiful.
And that wasn’t all. Down in that infamous pumpkin patch, I tipped over one of the containers I planted with Yukon Gold potatoes and I was happily surprised to find enough potatoes for several meals. We can go through 10 pounds of potatoes in no time if all the older boys are eating.
Potatoes grown in one of the containers down at our pumpkin patch
If you live on an urban homestead as I do, I would recommend growing your potatoes in a container. It was so easy and  as I was pouring my lawn clippings into the compost bin, I would top up my potatoes with a bit of mulch and throw a bit of dirt as well. By the end of summer the container was topped up and it was full of veggies. I was surprised by how many potatoes we received.
With  our newly dug potatoes and this beautiful cabbage, I’m going to make a vegetable borscht. Come and join me as I cook.
Pour a cup of tea and let’s get cooking. We can chat about being grateful as we go.

Let’s see, where is my recipe, oh here it is:

Hope’s Homemade Vegetable Borscht
 
Ingredients
  • 3 medium-size beets, peeled and grated
  • 2 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tbsp of water
  • juice from ½ lemon
  • 2 L of water/vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp of salt…or salt to your taste.
  • 6 medium-size potatoes, or the equivalent, diced
  • ½ cabbage….you can use green or red
  • 1  onion, diced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  •  black pepper/pinch of salt
  • 2  bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley or fresh finely chopped.
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced as you desire
  • 1 tbsp of dried dill or a large bunch of fresh finely chopped
Directions
  1. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add grated beets, carrots and diced tomatoes.


2. Add 2 tbsp of  water and lemon juice to the vegetables and stir.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, boil 2 L of water in a kettle and add to the shredded vegetables, that have been on simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Bring to a boil and add salt to your taste
6. Add diced potatoes and shredded cabbage to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes


7. While that is cooking, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until golden


8. Add onions and garlic to the pot and combine well.
9. Add freshly ground black pepper, salt, bay leaves, parsley and dill to the soup. Cook for 15 minutes. 




10. Now the best part, pour into bowls, add a big dollop of sour cream and a sprig of parsley.


Serve with salad and dinner buns (recipe below) for a complete and delicious meal.

This recipe feeds 12-14 people. It fed us for 2 nights which I’m grateful for as the second night was after being at the dentist with the whole gang and we were hungry when we arrived home. If you don’t need a whole pot full, please know it freezes really well. Perfect for a cold fall night.

Let’s say Grace….

Don’t you think when you come from a place of gratitude, even more gifts are bestowed. Let’s say grace.

And before I close this post, I just wanted to jot down my dinner bun recipe. I used this also for my black bean burger recipe…but I make the buns a bit smaller for dinner.

Ingredients:

Serves: 12-15
  • 4 1/2cups flour
  • 4 1/2teaspoons dry yeast (2 8g packages)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4cup water
  • 1/2cup margarine or 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup of oil
  • 1/3-1/2cup  white sugar
  • 1/2teaspoon  salt

 

Directions:

 

    1. Mix 2 C flour& yeast in a large bowl.
    2. In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar& salt to lukewarm in microwave.
    3. Add all at once to flour mixture and beat till smooth. (Approx 2 mins in a Kitchenaid stand mixer).
    4. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough (2 – 2 1/2 Cups).
    5. Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a large greased bowl for about 15 minutes.
    6. Shape dough into 12-15 small balls and place on greased baking sheet to rise until doubled in size. (approx 45 Mins).
    7. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven 12-15 minutes.
      I add some ground flax seed and oatmeal to the tops of the dough as I’m making the buns

       

      For some reason, making bread and buns is such a nurturing experience

 

 

So there it is my blog friends. A home cooked meal, nothing extravagant but when the ingredients come from your garden, you are even more thankful. I have to tell you our kitchen smells heavenly between the borscht and the buns cooking.

Our cat, May Ling, a blue lynx point Siamese, has snoozed the whole afternoon away on the window seat in our kitchen. There is nothing like homemade soup, buns and a cat dosing in the kitchen in my books.

 

When she hears my camera click, she starts slightly but only just…in a second she is dreaming about mice and quail again

Thanks for coming today……..

Until we meet again, may you be well, peaceful and happy.

Blessings from Hope