In our blocking of Act I today, I was reminded that I wanted to look up what might make a constant diet of “Caucasian stews” unhealthy, as Vanya claims. Certainly, hearty meals are necessary to survive the harsh Russian winters and on one site I found, the writer attributed the longevity of Georgians to their plentiful diet of dairy, meat and veggies.  Just in case some of you with kitchens want to give these foods a try, especially as the temperatures outside turn colder, here are a few recipes:

Georgian Lamb Stew from My Humble Kitchen.com

• 2 lbs young lamb, cut into big chunks
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium/large russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 medium onions, peeled
• 4 roma tomatoes (or 3 ripe tomatoes)
• 3 bell peppers (red, orange and yellow), seeded, stems removed
• 2 smaller eggplants (leave the skin on), ítems removed
• 1 bunch parsley, minced
• ½ bunch of fresh dill, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 quart chicken stock(you can substitute 1 cup of stock for 1 cup of red wine)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 peppercorns

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and brown the meat on medium-high heat, 4-5 minutes per side. In the meantime cut all the vegetables in rounds of approximately similar thickness.
3. Place the lamb on the bottom of a clay pot or a Dutch oven and Start layering the vegetables in the order they were listed in the ingredients. Add parsley and dill on top, along with whole garlic cloves. Press lightly with your palm.
4. Pour the liquid (stock, or stock and wine mixed) into the pan with the lamb drippings, heated on medium temperature, and scrape the bottom to release all the delicious bits. Pour on top of vegetables, making sure they are submerged.
5. Bake for 45 minutes and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Continue baking for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the meat is tender.

Georgian Ajapsandali: Eggplant & Pork Stew from the Cooking in Sens blog.

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 each red, orange, yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3 eggplant, cubed
• 1 lb small potatoes, skin on, cubed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 large knob of butter
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, mixed with 6 tbsp of water
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Scallions, chopped

Instructions

Saute the onions, garlic and peppers in the olive oil just until the onions begin to soften, then add the ground pork and cook until it is no longer pink.

Add the eggplant, potatoes, bay leaf and the knob of butter to the pan, stir well, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomato paste with water, the tomatoes, coriander, paprika, crushed red, salt and pepper, then stir well, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are done.    Sprinkle with scallions and serve with flat bread.

Amolesili Lobio (Stewed Red Beans and Walnuts) from Saveur.com

I imagine one could make this a fully vegetarian option by swapping out the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup toasted walnuts
½ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small red Holland chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
½ small leek, finely chopped
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. hot paprika
1 lb. dried dark red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
12 cups chicken stock
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped dill
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Country bread, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Place walnuts and half the oil in a food processor; purée until very smooth, about 2 minutes, and set aside. Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, carrots, onions, chiles, and leeks; cook, stirring until golden, about 10 minutes. Add coriander and paprika; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cook, slightly covered, until beans are very tender, 2-2 ½ hours. Using a ladle, transfer half the beans to a blender; purée until smooth and return to pot. Stir in walnut purée, cilantro, dill, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper; serve with bread on the side.