Since Baba Yaga is by and large a Russian tale, I based this Yaga stew upon borscht. I also included everything named in the poem as being In The Pot (except for Alexander) along with my interpretation of Russian stick-to-your-ribs peasant food. The Beloved spent the summer of 1987 in then-Soviet Russia and ate borscht almost every day. He Loathed it. He was Afraid of Beets for years afterwards. But he really Really likes this stew. And so do I.
1cupbutton or crimini mushroomswashed and quartered
1teaspoonyellow mustard seeds
4Tablespoonsred wine vinegardivided
2Tablespoonstomato paste
1-28ozcan whole stewed tomatoes
2cupsvegetable broth
1ozfresh dill, thicker stems removed
1ozfresh parsleythicker stems removed
1cupshredded cabbage
juice of one large lemon
1Tablespoonhoney
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Scrub the beets and cut them in half from root to tip.
Scrub and peel the parsnips and cut them in half from root to tip. Cut them in half again, cross-wise.
Drizzle a roasting pan with a bit of olive oil. Place the beet halves on the pan, cut sides down. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt. Roast for 30 minutes at 400F.
Add the parsnips to the pan, cut sides down. Drizzle with oil and salt, and roast for an additional 20 minutes.
When beets and parsnips are tender, remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them. Pull the skin off the beets. Slice the beets into 1/4" slices and set aside.
Cook and crumble the bacon in a heavy skillet. Remove bacon to crock pot or Dutch oven.
Work a dull knife under the membrane on the bone side of the ribs and then pull off the membrane. Season with salt and pepper, and brown in the same skillet. Remove to crock or Dutch oven.
Scrub and cut the carrots into large chunks and place around the ribs.
In the same skillet you used for the bacon and the meat, brown the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Add a bit more olive oil and salt & pepper, as necessary.
Add the mustard seed. Deglaze the pan with 3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar and cook until almost dry.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the onion mixture to the crock or Dutch oven.
Place the sliced roasted beets and quartered parsnips in the pot.
Pour in the can of tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Stir in the fresh herbs. If using a crock pot, cook on high for 3 hours and then on low for an additional 3 hours. If using a Dutch oven, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer until the meat pulls easily from the bone, about three hours.
Stir in the cabbage, lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of red wine vinegar and honey and simmer until the cabbage is just tender, about ten minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve as is or over egg noodles with a bit of sour cream.