Okroshka

Окрошка [Okroshka] Cold Vegetable Soup

     I love this soup in spring and summer. It's fresh, light, and perfectly chilly when the temperatures are high. Not everyone loves this dish, however. My dad's family all love it and my mom's family all hate it. Mr. Chickadees and I love it, but not all the chickadees like it. They much prefer it as a salad without the "soup" part.

Ingredients:

These are the amounts for our large family, if you have a smaller family, half the recipe.

4 medium potatoes

2 medium carrots

4 eggs

1 english cucumber

1 bunch of radishes

2 stalks of green onions

Handful of dill

8oz of ham

Salt and pepper

Quart of cultured buttermilk

Directions:

1. A few hours to a day ahead, boil the potatoes, carrots, and eggs. Do not peel, scrub vegetables really well, and cook with peels. Cook just until potatoes and carrots are tender. Some people like to cook each ingredient in separate pots, I do not. 

2. Once done cooking, strain, let cool, then refrigerate for a few hours or over night.

3. When you're ready to make the salad, peel the boiled potatoes, carrots and eggs.

4. Start chopping all ingredients into small cubes.

5. Add salt and pepper, mix.

6. Scoop mixture into bowls. This is where some of the chickadees prefer to stop and eat it like a salad.

7. Add buttermilk and mix, kind of like milk to cereal consistency.

8. Enjoy!