Lithuanian Borscht with Mushrooms

This full-bodied and flavorful borscht served with boiled potatoes is a nod to classic Lithuanian cuisine.
Wash beef bones under cold running water and place into a pot. Cover with water and slowly bring to a boil. When it boils, skim off any foam that appears, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 4-5 hours. Add salt 30 minutes before broth is done. Strain the broth and set aside.
Wash dried porcini mushrooms, place into a pot and cover with water. Add halved onion and slowly bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer mushroom broth for 2 hours. Add salt 30 minutes before broth is done. Take the mushrooms out, wash them and cut into strips. Strain the broth.
Wash the beetroot thoroughly and peel. Place in a pot, cover with cold water and quickly bring to a boil. Cook it for 1-1 ½ hours on medium high heat not covering with a lid. Take the beetroot out, cool and cut into strips.
Cut onions, carrots and parsley root into strips. Heat margarine on a skillet and place your cut vegetables there. Cook on medium heat until onion turns translucent.
Separately, heat some margarine on a skillet and add all purpose flour. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly until flour develops light golden color. Turn the heat off, cool the mixture down and mix thoroughly with sour cream.
Mix together beef broth and mushroom broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil, add prepared mushrooms and sauteed vegetables and cook for 15 minutes.
Add prepared beetroot and cook for 15 more minutes.
In the end, add flour-sour cream mixture, beetroot brew, sugar, peppercorns and bay leaves. Add salt to taste. Rapidly bring the borscht to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.
When serving the borscht, add chopped parsley greens or celery greens into bowls. Serve Ukrainian Boiled Potatoes along with borscht.

You will need

For bone-based broth

• Water – 6 cups
• Beef bones – 25 oz
• Salt – 1 teaspoon

For mushroom broth

• Water – 4 cups
• Dried porcini mushrooms – 1 oz
• 1 yellow onion

For borscht

• Beetroot – 14 oz
• 1 carrot
• 1 Parsley root
• ½ celery root
• ½ yellow onion
• Margarine – 3 tablespoons
• Wheat flour – 2 tablespoon
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon
• Beetroot brew – 1 cup
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt – to taste

To serve

• Chopped parsley – 4 tablespoons
• OR chopped celery greens – 4 tablespoons
• Ukrainian boiled potatoes

Making beetroot brew
Peel and wash your beetroots. Cut the beetroot into thin slices, place them into glass or clay jar and cover with lukewarm water. Put 1 piece of rye bread on top. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and put in a dark and warm place. Check on it in 4-5 days. Skim off any foam that might appear on top. Transfer the brew into a clean jar and keep refrigerated.  
You will need:

• Beetroot – 3 pounds
• Water – 6 cups
• Rye bread – 1 piece

Making boiled potatoes

Peel whole potatoes and place into salted boiling water. Add peeled yellow onion, 1 bay leaf and boil for 10-15 minutes. When potatoes are done, pour the water and take onion and bay leaves out. Dry potatoes a little. To do so, simply leave them in the pot with no water over very low heat for 5 minutes.
When serving, sprinkle with ground black pepper and chopped dill. If you wish, you can also sprinkle them with cooked chopped bacon.
You will need

• Potatoes – 2 pounds
• Water – 3 cups
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground black pepper
• Chopped dill
• Salt – to taste