Beet Soup with Mushroom Patties

We intended to run Teresa Bobbitt's recipe for the Polish soup barszcz before Christmas, because it's traditionally served on Chrismas Eve. The holidays got away from us, but this recipe is too good to hold for another year. Winter brings wonderful beets to the market, so this can be made anytime you see a nice fat bunch in the store.

Teresa says, "Barszcz can be served as a main course with a big salad, or as the first course of a formal dinner. Both the soup and the patties are quite easy to make and can be prepared several days ahead and reheated."

Barszcz

3 onions

2 celery stalks or 1/2 celery root

2 parsley roots

2 onions

5 peppercorns

2 quarts water

6 medium beets, washed but unpeeled

1 t. dried marjoram

1 to 2 T. lemon juice

1 t. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Simmer carrots, celery stalks or celery root, parsley root, onions, and peppercorns in salted water for 30 minutes. Strain.

2. Boil the beets in a small amount of water for 30 minutes. Run them under cold water, peel them, coarsely grate them, and add them to the broth.

3. Add the marjoram to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, and discard the beets.

4. Add lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Mushroom Patties

Stuffing:

2 T. butter

1 onion, sliced

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 T. water

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 T. dried or 3 T. fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

Dough:

2/3 cup butter

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

2 t. baking powder

2 egg yolks

1 egg

3 T. sour cream

1 egg white

For the stuffing:

1. Sauté onions in the butter until golden.

2. Add mushrooms and two tablespoons of water, and cook on low heat for five minutes.

3. Soak bread in water; squeeze.

4. Place everything in a food processor, add dill, season with salt and pepper, and blend until creamy.

For the dough:

1. Cut the butter into the flour with a knife or a pastry cutter.

2. Add baking powder, egg yolks, egg, and sour cream. Knead the dough for a few minutes, or put the ingredients into a food processor and process until the dough rolls into a ball.

3. Roll out dough into two 18-by-16-inch rectangles.

Making the patties:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place a line of stuffing one inch inside the long edge of each rectangle. Fold the dough over the stuffing; brush with egg white.

3. Cut into 26 patties and place them on a buttered baking sheet.

4. Bake 35 minutes.

Add the patties to the soup just before serving. Serves six.