Appetizer Platter - Tolmas | Pkhali | Pickles

Tolmas stuffed with rice, herbs and Hen of the Woods (maitake) mushrooms. Trio of Georgian vegetable pates (pkhali): beet greens, rainbow chard and collards. Pickled green tomatoes with tarragon.

Georgian Salad with Kakhetian Oil

Typical Georgian salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs, walnuts and red wine vinegar. We used the signature sunflower oil from Kakheti, a region famous for its winemaking.

Lobio

Savory bean stew with fresh herbs and pomegranate molasses, often served with a type of flat cornbread.

Khachapuri (D/G)

Often referred to as "Georgian pizza" this ubiquitous cheesy bread has many regional variations with the egg-topped Adjarian version gracing many an Instagram grid. Our version was the more rustic Imeretian style, which is my favorite.

Elarji with Grilled Figs (D)

Similar to cheesy grits, this rustic porridge hails from the Samegrelo region and often uses Sulguni cheese to make a stretchy, dramatic presentation. We used a mixture of cheeses to replicate the salty, elastic Sulguni and topped with grilled figs, toasted hazelnuts and pomegranate molasses for a savory sweet dish.

Satsivi Cauliflower

Satsivi is the Georgian word for cold or cool, and it is a common walnut sauce typically served with chicken, at room temperature. We served our vegetarian version with a bit of a chill, opting for roasted cauliflower instead of chicken, and autumn olives standing in for pomegranate seeds.

Ajapsandali

A hearty vegetarian stew made with eggplant, sweet peppers and tomatoes. Some versions have potatoes or carrots, but we used some locally grown pumpkin for a touch more sweetness. Variations of this dish can be found across the Caucuses in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Dagestan.

Country Potatoes (D)

Served at nearly every meal, potatoes cooked simply in butter and topped with herbs and maybe some Svanetian salt as we served them. Our potatoes were donated by the Merrymeeting Gleaners and were gleaned from Goranson Farm.

Mtsvadi

Also known by the Slavic name of shashlik, mtsvadi is usually grilled meat, typically pork, skewered and cooked over the embers of grapevines. The Kakhetians pride themselves on their mtsvadi (and their grapevines) and hold a feast after grape harvest (Rtveli). Our version made use of a couple giant foraged maitake mushrooms (Hen of the Woods).

Khinkali (G)

These famous dumplings feature in eating competitions across Georgia. They often use a mixture of pork and beef. For our versions, half the dumplings used Impossible ground and the other half were made with a spicy mushroom filling.

Stuffed Pumpkin with Pilafi

It's no surprise that this hearty and warming dessert is common in the mountainous Adjara region. Our version used plant-based butter and pumpkins donated from Six River Farms.