One of the greatest things about living in Upstate NY is the climate (those of you who live here, I can hear your chuckles). Potatoes, beets, and cabbage make for some delicious comfort food and I made some Winter Borscht, all from ingredients from my CSA. It was warm and cozy. The only problem is, although it was in the 40's last week, today in Oneida we peaked at 80. Fantastic. The meal was still delicious but I was sweating making it and eating it wasn't much better.
This week at our CSA pickup we had a choice between a basket of sweet peppers and a basket of eggplant. My husband has been asking for eggplant, but I saw more uses for the peppers. But then, being the marvelous wife I am, while he was loading the kids in the car and I stopped to get cucumbers from another stand, I saw two beautiful eggplant and picked them up for him. He wanted eggplant parm. I was searching for an alternative since I'm not a fan of deep frying and it's even worse with two grabby toddlers running around. I found this super easy super fast recipe for Eggplant Casserole, which called for basically the same ingredients, and I got to use my peppers. Everybody wins! It was a hit.
A little background about me and then I'll get back to the borscht. My parents didn't cook...at all. A homecooked meal for me was my mother putting a package of Schwann's Chicken Cordon Bleu in the oven. It wasn't until high school when I dated a culinary student that I tasted actual homemade chicken cordon bleu and I discovered the joy food can bring. I was lucky, though, I had one set of grandparents on the farm (see my previous blog on my Grandpa) and my other grandmother loved to cook. Holidays were like a wonderland of food.
So, needless to say, a lot of these flavors and techniques are new to me. I am loving every minute of this challenge and in general the CSA share. So, when I came across the idea for borscht, I was apprehensive, as I am every unknown dish. But, sink or swim,as my family will attest, I don't mind taking risks in the kitchen and they get the fruits of my labor the second time I try a dish. So, I made the borscht not having any idea what it was going to taste like. But, when I had my first bite, a funny thing happened. The flavors were familiar and the dish tasted nostalgic like I had eaten it before. I don't recall it, but perhaps at one holiday or another, one of my grandparents made it for us. Funny how food can do that.
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