Dinner with a 'Foreign Flair'

We are currently enjoying time with my folks in South Carolina.  We're having a relaxing visit hanging out at the house, drinking good beer and getting ready for Christmas.  I have been trying to do more cooking lately.  I really like to explore various ethnic cuisines.  Last night I prepared a very basic veggie stir-fry that seemed to please our palates.  There were no complaints, and we all had clean plates, so that is a positive sign.  This morning I started thumbing through Mom's cookbooks searching for a soup recipe to fix for tonight.  I decided to go with the Russian soup borsch, which is one of my favorites.  Aaron and I ate plenty of this beet filled soup while we traveled through Poland, and it is a perfect meal for a cold winter evening.  The recipe as follows

Borsch-from Better Homes and Gardens, Meals with a Foreign Flair

Add 2 cups shredded beets and 1 cup each chopped carrots and chopped onions to 3.5 cups boiling salted water; cook 20 minutes.  Add 1 can beef broth (or vegetable broth), 1 cup shredded cabbage, 1 tablespoon butter; cook uncovered 15 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice; pour into 6 bowls, and add a dollop of sour cream to each.

Mom, Aaron and I dined on the Borsch while Dad chose to go with chicken noodle, since he isn't a beet fan.  On the side we ate popovers with butter and strawberry jam.  It was a lovely combination!  The soup turned out well with a very pleasing flavor.  I used canned beets because there were no fresh ones to be found at the market today.  Next time I might try using one can of plain beets and one of pickled just to add a bit more flavor.  I think tomorrow night we are having sandwiches, but I plan to help Mom with fixing dinner for the whole family on Saturday.  She is planning on making a variety of delicious quiches.  More fine dining experiences in the near future!