Construction Site Lunch: Borscht and Corn Salad

I make lunch for a construction crew once a week.  They're a unique bunch in that though most of them  appreciate a good meatball sub, they totally welcome say, borscht w. fennel and sausage and corn salad (which is what I made them today).

I have complete free rein on what to make, and don't announce it to anyone until I set it before them.  They are renovating a mansion into an inn, and over the past year we've eaten where ever works for the job site and the weather.  We are currently eating on what will be the back patio, the only shady spot, sitting on a rock wall.

There are few food restrictions currently in the group - one person wheat intolerant.  In the past there was a vegetarian, a 'lact-tard' (allergic to dairy), someone who didn't eat pork...oh, and one person can't eat clams.

Occasionally I do a pasta dish, and either give everyone rice pasta, or cook a small amount on the side.
I use in-season local ingredients, for the most part. They appreciate meat, so I include meat, nearly every week.  I only do  desserts on birthdays.

This week I walked through our small downtown farmers market on Tuesday morning, and after walking back and forth a few times, settled on making a fennel beet borscht and corn salad.  I bought beets, fennel, sweet corn, thai basil, celery and onions.

The Borscht went like this:
for 18 people (15 ish on the crew, and I am bringing two servings to a friend who just had a baby dinner this evening too...)
Saute onions in oil until soft.  Add one large bulb of fennel, diced.  Add 4 bunches (12-16 medium) beets, sliced thinly, in sections that will fit in a soup spoon (halve, quarter, 1/8th, and then slice).  Stir and saute.

In the mean time I started a vegetable stock with fennel trimmings, onion trimmings, a few shiitake stems I had on hand, and some scallion trimmings.  (If you have some on hand, great, heat it slowly and add it to soup when beets have cooked alittle).

Add two quarts of water (or enough to cover) to the soup pot, put a lid on it and bring to a simmer.  Cook until beets are still a little crunchy - not over 1/2 hour with fresh, fresh beets.  Turn off heat.

Add hot stock when it's ready, and season lightly to start: ground cardamom, cinnamon, thyme, salt.
At this point I left it over night, but whatever suits your schedule is what you'll do (I assume).

In the morning I heated the soup gently, and tasted it.  More salt, a dash of white wine, and some white miso went in.
I sliced the other bulb of fennel I had thin and dry roasted it in a hot cast iron pan (in two batches) and threw that in too.
Oh, and 10 links of pre-cooked chicken and apple sausage, cut into coins, poached in the soup.

Cooled to room temperature, with a dollop of greek yogurt, it was really wonderful.

The Corn Salad:
again, 18 people....

Shuck 9 ears of corn, cut them on half, and then cut the kernels off them.
Leafy dark green tops of farmers market celery, chopped.
Handful of thai basil leaves and flowers, chopped fine.
5-6 scallions sliced into thin rounds.
dash of umeboshi vinegar, and stir.
I was thinking of adding some chopped Italian Prune plums, but didn't ....could be a gorgeous yellow, green and purple salad.