Thursday, November 2

I Want Summa

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?"
Judith Martin


I would like to fill this empty bowl with some Summa Borscht.




I would call grandma and ask her for the recipe. But, Grandma always seems to be able to cook things by how they look and smell and feel. She has yet to give me an actual recipe with real measurements. Just add a bit of this and a bit of that. I went over there once to learn how to make New Years Cookies. I tried to write it all down as she went along. But, alas I couldn't keep up. She would add about oh so many cups of flour and then some more sugar and then after about 10 minutes she would have a look at it and realise she needs more water and then a little bit more flour. And, I was lost. I can't cook like this. I'm a mess enough as it is. I need structure. So, if any of you have a good recipe for some Summa Borscht can you give it to me? And, if you don't have a recipe can you make one up for me as accurate as possible. I really don't think I can handle making soup depending on what it is supposed to look like, and how its supposed to smell and feel and depending on the barometric pressure maybe add a dash of this and if its really humid outside maybe take away a little of this. I know an exaggeration of what Grandma does but it sometimes can feel like that when you call her for some recipes.

15 comments:

Trav said...

amanda has a good recipie for summa borscht... you could call her... h2er70 p6h9o8n2e number is hidden in this secret message... we don't have our house phone anymore... just our cells... so you'll have to call her on her cell for it...maybe call around 6ish... she should be home by then... but yeah... she makes good summa borscht... and believe you me... i know all about good summa borscht

Toad said...

I can't call I am at work all night. Maybe she could come on here and post it. That way I can print it off. Easy and pie.

footsack said...

Angie, it's very simple. Fill a big pot (about 15-20 cups) with water. Then take a big onion and cut it into 8th's and throw it in.Then take about 3 sticks of farmer sausage and put that in the boiling water. (you can put more or less in. It depends on how much sausage you like in your soup. Cut up a bunch of potatoes into small cubes and put them in the boiling water. Again you can put as many or as little as you like in there. If you go to the store and buy dill fresh, you usually get it in bundles that are about as big around as your thumb. Take about 3 bunches and tie them all together and throw it in. When your sausage and potatoes are done,then take a small tub of sour cream and about 1 cup of whipping cream and whisk them together and then pour that into the soup. Add salt to taste which if your are a true Braun, would be a lot. You can put pepper in it to if you like. Some people don't. So there you have it. Really easy.


I am back blogging again so if you want to see my blog you can. This is Auntie Mitz by the way.

Becky said...

I tried to get her to give me a recipe for her pickle brine once... Worked about as well as the New Years cookies lesson did.

Becky said...

Oh, and Aunty Mitz,
By small tub do you mean... Smallest? Or just sort of small in comparison to that great big one?

Carol said...

Uncle Art makes the best summa borscht in the world, but alas he kinda makes it exactly like Grandma does, so his recipe wouldn't be much of a help.

Melanie said...

This is exactly how I cook. A pinch of this, smell for a good spice in your spice rack and add that. Cook until it's done...lol. Peter won't cook with me. Peter, as you can imagine, is a recipe kinda guy. I think the sour cream is up to you too.

footsack said...

I always use the small one which is the one that is only about 1 1/2 inches tall. If I have one of those big ones (3-4 inches) I don't quite use the whole thing. Unless you like your soup a little bit sourer than I do. Then you can use a whole big thing. I guess it's all how you like it.

Margaret said...

I use the 500 ml sour cream because I like mine a little more sour. I also add a litre of cultered buttermilk and about 6 green onions, chopped.

Unknown said...

Mmm... sommaborscht. I cook that exact same way. Go to the store, buy some stuff that'll probably be good together, and throw it in a pot and cook it. What I like to call my signature pasta, it's that way. And I never have a recipe, it changes all the time. Maybe today I'll add broccoli, tomorrow it'll be with shrimp instead of chicken, next it'll be really spicy... it all depends on my mood on how it tastes.

Melanie said...

WARNING!!
On Friday I attemted my first summaborcht. I failed. I am not truly a good mennonite wife, and for this, I am very sad. It tasted okay, and I haven't tried the leftovers, as they may taste a bit better, but remember when you're making it, to do way more potatoes than you think you'd need. A lot of them boil away. A lot. and then you just have sausage in some dilly soup. Also, make sure your dill has at least a half hour in your soup, or that flavor will be lost also. Trust me, I know.

Becky said...

Trust me. Ang would never make the mistake of putting in too few potatoes. I don't think it would even be physically possible. She bleeds starch. (Sort like Travvy bleeds purple kool aid... Or wait, was that Doft?)

Becky said...

I hate tatoos, but I think you should get this one.

Toad said...

I COULD ADD IT ON TO ONE OF THE LEAVES ON MY ALREADY EXISTING ONE. AND YOU LOVE TATTOO YOU ARE JUST JEALOUS OF MINE. THATS WHY YOU SAY THAT.

WHAT?
NO.
YEYA.

Smarmy Boss said...

I went out for lunch and had soup. I had Cream of Broccoli. I don't know why. I hate the taste of canned broccoli and it wasn't that good. The funny part is that it didn't agree with my boss. (Or maybe it was the egg salad sandwich he ate) anyways he actually used the washroom at work. (He's terrified of public restrooms) then he went home. I wish I could have went home.