Ingredients

• 3 pounds lamb, preferably shoulder or leg, cut into chunks
• 1.25 cups cherry plums, pitted and halved
• 3 cups fresh tarragon, chopped
• 1.5 cups wild garlic, chopped OR 1 cup loosely packed other herbs, chopped (parsley, mint, dill, cilantro)
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cups white wine (at most; Georgian variety if available; qveri is recommended if possible)
• 1 cup water or as needed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the lamb chunks in batches, searing until all sides are golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions.
4. Cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove temporarily from the heat.
5. Reserve a few tablespoons of tarragon for garnish. Add the rest of the herbs and the plums to the pan.
6. Return the lamb to the pan. Pour in the white wine and water. Adjust the liquid so it just covers the ingredients; add more water if necessary.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.
9. Simmer very gently for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the lamb is very tender.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. The stew should have a balanced, tangy flavor from the plums. Garnish with the reserved tarragon.

Suneli Valley, modified

Ingredients

for the dressing:

• 150g walnuts
• 2-3 tbsp. of sunflower or mild olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. coriander (?? this had no amount in the recipe)
• chili flakes (optional)

for the salad:

• 4 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 medium or 1 large cucumber (pref. hothouse)
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2-3 handfuls fresh herbs (cilantro mandatory, basil, parsley, dill good additions)

Preparation

for the dressing:

1. Pulse walnuts, oil, and garlic together in a blender or food processor until finely ground, smooth, but not fully paste or nut-butter.
2. Add vinegar, coriander, chili (if using), and 80 mL (1/3 c.) water. Pulse a few more times. Add more water only if needed. The dressing should be thick, and shouldn’t pour cleanly.
3. Taste for seasoning. It should be a bit over-seasoned.

for the salad:

1. Cut tomatoes into large, rough wedges, and slice the cucumbers into thick half-rounds.
2. Thinly slice the red onion. If it’s a harsh onion, soak the slices in cold water for five minutes and pat dry.
3. Roughly chop the herbs.
4. Spoon the dressing over the salad, finishing with a small last pinch of salt on the plate.

Georgian Eats, modified

Ingredients

• 9 c / 2l grape juice
• up to 2-3 c. white flour [I used 1 1/2 c. total when I made it]
• sugar / honey (optional)
• walnuts (for serving)

Preparation

1. To make badagi (concentrated grape juice), put the grape juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it boils, skim the foam. Turn the heat down to very low and simmer uncovered. Stir frequently to prevent sticking and burning.
2. Simmer until the juice reduces by a little less than half, about 1 hour. Once the juice darkens and the aroma becomes concentrated, the badagi is ready.
3. Let cool.
4. When ready to continue, return to the heat, adding 1/2 c. flour. As the juice begins to boil, slowly mix in more flour and cook until you can no longer smell and/or taste flour (about 5-7 minutes).
5. Taste. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp sugar. Do not oversweeten.
6. Pour into ramekins or a serving bowl while hot. Let cool completely, then chill until set.
7. Optional: garnish with walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, or/and drizzle a little honey on top right before serving.

Suneli Valley / Culinary Backstreets, modified