Okroshka

There was a time my mother apparently took an earnest interest in cooking and wrote down recipes for various dishes on index cards. (That said—and I do not mean this as criticism—our diet during the time I grew up was pretty bland and predictable, but I think that had more to do with my stepfather's wishes than anything else.)

I ran across one such card with a recipe for a cold soup called okroshka, apparently told to my mother by her friend Mrs. Rennenkampf, and it goes about like this:

2 c of cold diced meat (almost any kind can be used—beef, veal, tongue, ham, chicken, duck), or two kinds
3 tb minced scallions
1 t minced tarragon
1 t minded dill (optional)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
freshly ground pepper
3 tb sour cream
1 t prepared mustard
1 t lemon juice
1 t vinegar
2 small cucumbers, diced
1/2 dill pickle, diced
2 cups consommé (white or canned)
1-1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c ice water
1 c sparkling water
1 c crushed ice
2 hard-cooked [sic] eggs, chopped

Begin by putting minced scallion, tarragon, and dill in a large bowl. Add salt, sugar, and a dash of pepper and mash well with a wooden spoon. Add mustard, sour cream, lemon juice, and vinegar. Stir thoroughly. Put in diced meat, cucumber, pickle (peeled and diced), the consommé, wine, and ice water. Chill at least 4 hours. Add sparkling water, crushed ice, and hard-cooked eggs just before serving.

You know, this looks eminently easy to do.

Cheers...

UPDATE: Galina says that the soup she is familiar with uses diced lunch meat, e.g., sausage, salami, bologna, ham, etc.