Saltibarsciai I

Ingredients

 * vegetable broth
 * beets
 * vinegar
 * sugar
 * sour cream or buttermilk
 * salt to taste
 * potatoes, cooked, chilled and diced
 * cucumbers, seeded and diced
 * fresh dill, for garnish

Directions

 * 1) Prepare an all-purpose vegetable broth by boiling assorted vegetables, herbs/spices (such as bay and peppercorns) in lightly salted water.
 * 2) Use celery and carrot tops, onion root ends, and other vegetables left over from preparing other dishes.
 * 3) Boil beets in broth until soft.
 * 4) Remove beets from water.
 * 5) Peel and grate the beets coarsely.
 * 6) Strain broth.
 * 7) Add vinegar, sugar and sour cream or buttermilk to the beet water.
 * 8) Adjust the amount of salt needed at this time.
 * 9) Return beets to the broth.
 * 10) Chill well.
 * 11) To serve, place chilled diced potatoes and diced, seeded cucumbers in soup bowls.
 * 12) Pour soup over the potatoes and cucumbers.
 * 13) Garnish with dill (fresh, chopped or dried).