"borscht" news and stories

• When borscht is made well, its "a crimson silk purse stitched from a beetroot."
• It's hard to say, even harder to spell, but the Mourvèdre may just be the best grape in Paso Robles.
• If you've been longing for the recipe for Huckleberry's whole-wheat apple butter cake, then this is your lucky day.
• The Old Place, a roadhouse restaurant near Agoura Hills, is worth the schlep.

This week I'm featuring four days of salads, this being the summer solstice, and the height of salad madness. This combo of beets and oranges, from blogger gregturner, looks like a field of scarlet poppies, and tastes earthy-tropical. Beets and oranges work together like the old Cagney and Lacey team-level-headed with a high-strung edge. OK, that's a stretch; I just wanted to work in Cagney and Lacey somehow, just having seen a rerun of the show and feeling all 1980s, but you get the picture. In this recipe, a little red onion is added, and it's dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. (See another beet-orange-and-walnut salad recipe at Kitchen Daily.)

And if beets are your thing, and you want more Cagney than Lacey, check out this post on beet hummus, or this recipe for summer borscht.

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Multi-colored potatoes. Photo: me and the sysop, Flickr

• We know tomato crops are suffering, but could potatoes be next?
• A behind-the-scenes look at just how much went into making the food pop for "Julie & Julia". ... Plus a potluck at director Nora Ephron's.
  
• Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a wad of pastrami?
• Some say tomato leaves are poisonous, but the Gray Lady reports there's no solid proof of this and that they're delicious.
• The Minimalist makes an easy pie crust.
• California vineyards are suffering as people stop sampling new wine.

• A foodie tour of the Mediterranean with Jacques Pepin.
• Eight travelers pick their favorite foods from around the world (and their favorite bags to put that food in).
• Airstream Cuisine.
• What are chefs in Spain interested in now?
• Who's the next Jamie Oliver?
• A quick guide to Pinot Noir.
• How to make a better cupcake.
• New stuff for your kitchen, here, here, and here.
• This month's recipes include: Chilled Russian Borscht, Tangy Twice-Cooked Eggplants with Red Peppers, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad, Spiced Pinto Beans with Chorizo, Cubano Sandwiches, Korean Grilled Beef, Baja Fried Shrimp Tacos, Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives, Chocolate Buttermilk Cake, and Lemonade Slushies with Mint and Lemon Verbena.

• Start your year with comfort foods.
• Whole wheat pasta is everywhere.
• Mmmmmm ... fat!
• More and more people are using the web to lose weight.
• The greens of winter.
• A woman's hobby of making dips and spreads becomes a full-time career.
• Make your own donuts.
• This week's recipes: Kale and White Bean Soup with Chicken Sausage, Swiss Chard with Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes, and Beet Borscht.