Barszcz Błyskawiczny (6)
- below is the traditional recipe, but this is a quick version of this well-known soup which many people in Poland also use.  Try this before you graduate to the version below.

1000 g beetroot, peeled
1400 ml water
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
200 ml sour cream
about 200 ml vinegar
pepper
salt

          Boil and chop the eggs.  Meanwhile grate the beetroot thinly and boil, then simmer, in water with 1 tsp salt and 1 finely chopped garlic clove.  After about 15 minutes, let cool and remove most of the beet gratings with a slotted spoon.    Season the soup with salt, plenty of vinegar, and grated garlic.  Serve with chopped eggs and sour cream.
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1400 g beetroot, peeled
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
100 ml sour cream
few pieces bread crust
water
vinegar
salt

          Slice 1000 g of the beetroot thinly and place in a large non-metal pot with the bread crust and sliced garlic.  Cover beet with pre-boiled lukewarm water (about one litre), cover pot with a lid and leave to stand undisturbed for one week in a warm (not hot) place.  After this time, remove any mould from the top, and strain off and retain the 'beet vinegar' in a cool place.  Don't worry if it's thick and brown.  Cover beetroot slices again with water, bring to boil briefly and immediately strain off and reserve the liquor.  Grate remaining 400 g beet, and simmer this in the liquor for about 30 minutes.  Season well with the 'beet vinegar' (I recommend about half of it) and, if you prefer a thin soup, remove some of the beet gratings with a slotted spoon.  Reheat and, meanwhile, boil and chop the eggs.  Season the soup with salt, plenty of vinegar, and serve with chopped eggs and sour cream. 
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1 kg mussels
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
100 ml double cream
brazil-nut-sized piece of ginger, peeled
4 tomatoes
2 tbsp finely ground coriander seeds
small bunch coriander leaf, trimmed of most of the stalk
tsp powdered turmeric root
1/8 tsp powdered cinnamon
1 glass cheap white wine
tbsp rice
1/8 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp butter
salt
pepper

         Clean mussels of grit & beards, discard any open ones, place in lidded pot over high heat and steam in wine until the lid has been very hot for 3 minutes.  Let cool.  Meanwhile thinly slice onions, garlic and ginger and cook slowly in butter until soft.  Pick mussels, discarding only any which do not open, and the shells of ones which do.  Keep all liquids and meat.  Add to onion mixture.  Add also all other ingredients except seasonings, cream, tomatoes and a few coriander leaves, and simmer gently for at least 30 minutes.  Meanwhile skin and chop tomatoes, adding skins and seeds to pan.  Retain tomato flesh.  Liquidise most of soup, retaining some rice in case soup is too thick, and whole mussels if liked.  Add tomato flesh and boil soup briefly.  Season and serve with swirls of cream, reserved mussels and coriander leaf.
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600 g tomatoes
200 g onion
300 g carrot
250 ml water
pulp of 1 orange, made up to 300 ml volume with orange juice
3-4 fennel seeds
tsp salt
tbsp sugar
2 strips orange, lemon or, preferably, lime peel
pinch mint
pinch cinnamon
few dashes lime juice
5 tbsp cream

          Cover tomatoes in boiling water and, after a few minutes, remove them and pull the skins off.  Peel the carrots, and slice them, the onion and tomatoes.  Boil gently in the water with the salt, sugar, fennel seeds and the orange pulp (try not to add much orange juice for now) until the carrot is very tender.  As the end of the cooking time approaches, add the peel, cinnamon, remaining juice, and mint.  Take the peel back out again and keep it clean somewhere, allow soup to cool somewhat, and liquidise it thoroughly.  Pass through a fine colander, squeezing through well.  Throw away the semi-solid pulp, season soup well with lime juice, and chill well after adding the peel again.  Serve after stirring the cream through and checking seasoning again.
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Zupa z Śliwek (6)

600 g weight stoned dessert plums
100 ml cream
4-5 tbsp sugar, or to taste
tbsp cornflour
water

          Cover plums with water and boil to tenderness.  Let cool to lukewarm and liquidise.  Carefully blend in cornflour and return to boil briefly, stirring continuously.  Stir in most of the sugar and cream, adjust consistency with water, and finally adjust sweetness.  Chill well, and check sweetness and consistency again before serving.  Should make about 1 litre.
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knob of butter
1 onion
6 large or 8 medium leeks
100 ml double cream
300 g potatoes, peeled
500 ml milk
500 ml water
pinch dried thyme
salt
pepper

          Clean leeks, and chop.  Chop onion.  Fry onion in butter briefly, then add leeks and stew gently until wilted.  Add the potatoes, chopped, and 1 tsp salt.  Add milk, bring to the boil, add thyme, and then simmer for about 20 minutes, adding water gradually and skimming off any scum which may form.  Once potatoes are tender, blend the lot smoothly, add cream, season, and serve.
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250 g weight smoked sausage
250 g peeled potato, diced finely
1/2 medium onion
clove pickled garlic, or 1/2 clove raw garlic
2 tbsp buckwheat
5 tbsp cream
water
50 ml juice from gherkin jar
tbsp olive oil

           Chop onion and garlic finely and fry in oil until just softening.  Add sausage and potato and stir for a few minutes.  Add gherkin juice, cover whole with water, add half as much again, and boil potatoes to tenderness.  Add buckwheat and reduce to a simmer.  After a few minutes let cool and, when lukewarm, add cream and stir in well.  Adjust seasoning with salt and gherkin juice.  Reheat by boiling briefly when required.
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1 large/medium onion
300 ml milk
200 ml single cream
200 ml medium sweet white wine
2 small cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp sunflower oil
2 medium leeks
1 large courgette
250 g Brussels sprouts
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp yeast extract (if desired)

           Chop onion and garlic finely and fry in oil until just softening.  Leisurely chop leeks and courgette and add these too with salt and enough wine to initiate a gentle stewing.  Meanwhile leisurely clean sprouts and steam these 'al dente'.  When the stewed vegetables are tender, liquidise everything together, reheat in pan and adjust consistency with water.  Season with salt and pepper (and yeast extract) to taste.  For a special touch, top with chopped tomatoes, parmesan flakes and a swirl of cream.
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