Slow-Cooker Borscht

Leroy and Elizabeth gifted us with veggies from their yard ... some beets, a zucchini, and an eggplant!

Always ready to take on a new cooking adventure, I decided to try to make Borscht. And if it could be made in my slow-cooker, all the better. I've never worked with raw beets from the garden before, frankly they kind of intimidate me, but this recipe looked easy enough, and all I had to do was peel them and cut them in half. Same with the potatoes and onion. Add some broth and tomato paste and let it cook all day on low.

My hands did get a little stained from peeling the beets, but then washed off with cool water. Maybe that was the part that was so intimidating! Later on after things were cooked nice and soft, I used my immersion blender for awhile, leaving things a little chunky. Spices and shredded cabbage were added next and then allowed to cook some more. And, oh, the dill weed makes it taste so good! We'll add a good plop of sour cream to the bowl right before eating ...

Now, what am I going to do with that eggplant?