Cold beet borscht

This is our favorite summer soup, and a reason we've been looking forward to beet season. It's hard to save any of the beets we get from the farm for anything else. This week we got less than half a pound, so only two large bowls came from them.

1 lb. beets
2 tsp. white vinegar, or to taste
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp. citric acid powder [I skip this]
½ cup plus 1 tbl. sugar
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup sour cream
2/3 cup heavy cream
Ad-lib toppings: chopped onion, chopped cucumber, chopped fresh dill, lemon wedges, sour cream, heavy cream, reserved grated beets, chopped hard-boiled egg, coiled boiled very small waxy potato

In a small saucepan, bring the beets and water to cover by 2 inches to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the size and age of the beets).

Drain the beets in a sieve lined with a damp cloth; reserve the cooking liquid. Run the beets under cold water to cool, then peel. In a food processor, grate the beets with the grating disc (this can also be done with a box grater).

Return half of the grated beets to the cooking liquid. Reserve the rest of the beets for topping or for another use. Season the soup with the vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, sugar and salt and stir until everything is dissolved. Chill.

Just before serving, whisk in the sour cream and heavy cream. Pass small bowls of the ad lib toppings.

Makes 7 cups; serves 6 as a first course.

from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka.