admin“and some of them are beets heavy and red as garnets…”
Not particularly red, but somewhere in between the purple flesh of Ube root and the inner workings of a turnip.
When I first discovered beets, I found it hilarious that they could turn your mouth entirely red. It inspired several pranks on my parents, most of which I would pretend to bump into something, beet chunk in mouth, and pretend I had really hurt myself.
It wasn’t until I read the novel “Deathless” that I was flung into Russian culture and the profound imagery of cultural dishes that people thrived on. Here is a short description of the text:
A glorious retelling of the Russian folktale Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless from Catherynne M. Valente, set in a mysterious version of St. Petersburg during the first half of the 20th century
Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.
Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei's beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.It had become a stew of love, grief, infatuation, and yearning. In the wee hours of the morning, I scrolled endlessly through recipes on Google, Tumblr, and YouTube just to compile a semblance of the soup I wanted to make.
While not an authentic recipe, it is a product of a manic need to learn and assimilate into a world I have never known. Feeling the beetroot shave on the grater, watching bubbles of sanguine pop at the top of the pan, and then sopping up the soup with stale bread, made me feel like I was a part of the fictional story. It’s amazing how a simple meal can transport you somewhere.
It’s now a staple food in the winter months, high in vitamin C, and perfect for anyone who loves sour cream as much as I do.
Recipe
Ingredients and such …
- Beef Stew Meat
- 1 box, 32 oz of Beef Broth
- 1 Small Onion, Diced
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 Medium Carrots, Grated
- 2 Beets, Grated
- 3 Small Potatoes, Diced OR Sliced
- 1/4 of a Cabbage, Sliced THIN
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Sour Cream
MAKES SIX SERVINGS
- Put Garlic and Onion into a pot. Cook for around 1 minute.
- Add Beef Broth to the pot.
- When the broth starts to boil, add in the Beets and Carrots. Boil for 10 minutes until softened.
- Add in the potatoes. Cook until fork spears through.
- Add in cabbage. Cook until soft.
- Season with A BUNCH of Black Pepper, Salt, and some Garlic Powder to taste.
- Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream and stale bread.
