Beet Rolls, a sign of summer

The theme for this month's challenge for the Canadian Food Experience Project is cherished recipes.  My son who always has had an interest in cooking attributes this to his grandmother and James Barber. James Barber was a frequent guest on CBC's Morning side Radio Show hosted by Peter Gzowski.

My son's memories of his grandmother are most memorable. A kitchen with a dessert or a pie on the counter and a pot of soup on the kitchen stove. In the late summer, jars of perserves of jellies and pickles were lined up on the counter on a tea towel.   The kitchen was the heart of her home, full of love and laugher with people always dropping in to see her. His cherished recipe is my Mom's recipe for Beet Rolls. 

To him the serving of these rich creamy goodness was a sign of summer and a garden full of vegetables for picking.  The combination of cream and dill to him was most delicious and addicting as the sauce was soaked up in the beet rolls. 

Beet Rolls

As a kid growing up, I always thought this was something my mother had invented out of necessity as nothing was every wasted.   I was surprised to find that others did the same recipe.  My Mom baked bread frequently and since she had a big garden, the two ingredients necessary for this recipe were always present.

The secret to this recipe is the sauce which is heavy cream and chopped onions that is brought to a boil and then the temperature quickly reduced and simmered until the onions are cooked.  The beet rolls are added along with fresh dill and heated until warm.

Yes, this is a very rich dish that oozes with flavor and the first the sign of summer!