A Georgian braise at the center, with Italian caper sauces, and turmeric-roasted vegetables

The turkey picatta meatballs are the fragile ones here. Turkey dries out fast, so I sear them only to color and finish them in the caper lemon pan sauce off the heat, which keeps them soft enough to break with a fork. The everything bagel crusted sockeye salmon goes the other way: hot oven, skin down, pulled while the center is still translucent. Sockeye is lean, and two extra minutes turns it chalky.

Two of the sides are deliberately plain so they can sit against that stew. Braised white beans with zucchini and steamed broccoli orzo are both mild, because the chakhohbili and the picatta capers already bring plenty of acid and salt. Turmeric roasted cauliflower is the exception, and it stains whatever it touches. Cauliflower is holding well at the market right now, which is why it is roasted in whole florets rather than blitzed into rice.

Reheating, in order of fragility. The chakhohbili wants a covered dish at 325°F for about 20 minutes, or a low burner with a splash of water. The lemon parmesan fettuccine and the broccoli orzo both stiffen cold, so add a spoonful of water before either goes in. The sockeye salmon and the turkey picatta meatballs need 8 minutes at 300°F.