beautiful borscht

This is not anyone's traditional borscht. This recipe was not handed down by anyone's grandmother. This did not come from a cookbook of Eastern European food. It just came from having too many beets lying around and a craving for borscht.

I used:

• 5 beets
• 2 carrots
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• vegetable oil
  
• several cups chicken broth (but beef might be better, or veggie if you swing that way)
• cumin to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• use a cup or two shredded cabbage if you have it, I didn't
• cilantro to garnish
• plain yogurt (or sour cream) to garnish
  

1. Boil beets until they are tender (easily stabbed w/a dinner fork)
2. drain beets, reserving a cup or so of cooking water, and let cool
3. in large cast iron skillet sautee onions in oil
4. add garlic to onions after a few minutes
5. (if you have cabbage add it now)
   
6. add carrots and sautee until barely tender
7. add cumin and can tomatoes (un-drained) to skillet and reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes
   
8. meanwhile cut cooled beets in to pieces your blender can handle (peel if desired)
9. remove skillet from heat and let cool
10. place beets, tomato mixture, and broth in blender, reserving a few scoops to add texture
    
11. blend the dell out of it
12. add more broth and water from beets until borscht is the desired consistency
13. stir in reserved veggies
    
14. serve topped w/ a scoop of yogurt and pinch of chopped cilantro

This made enough borscht to feed two people bowls at least once a day over four days