Summer Borscht Pacho

Early summer is a fantastic time for fresh produce, and Mountain Bounty is growing some truly stellar vegetables right now. At Rasa Kitchen, part of the California College of Ayurveda, we focus deeply on the strength of digestion, or "Agni", which is considered the root of overall health. This internal fire produces the energy our bodies need to function; when it doesn't burn cleanly, it's time to tweak our diet and support our digestive system. In the summer heat, our bodies naturally crave lighter foods. To stay balanced as the temperature rises, we want to focus on cooling the system with supportive herbs, sweet roots, and refreshing summer vegetables.

In a pot saute onions, add beets, bouillon, cumin, coriander, and water and cook until fork tender. Add carrots, cabbage and cook until softened. When the borscht has cooled slightly add zucchini and black pepper and salt to taste. Serve warm or cold, garnish with cucumber, radish, fresh dill, parsley, scallions and a good drizzle of olive oil. A few cracks of black pepper as well as a dollop of yoghurt or kefir.

This recipe is also awesome blended with yogurt and garnished with all the above garnishes.