It’s evening. The pulse of the day slows down. Shadows lengthen on the ridge and goldfinches warble in the persimmon tree. In the house, our family of five gathers in the kitchen to share the evening meal. Over the season’s first glass of iced tea, we talk about how much milk Gail gave at evening milking, who’s closest to calving, how the new lambs are growing, and if the lower field ready for planting. We asked about the occupancy rate of the newly cleaned out bluebird boxes, wonder whether the purple martins have returned to their hill-top house, and if the pair of Canada geese will nest at the little pond in the woods this year. The dogs, Owain, Bree and Hank wonder with us.

Have you stopped doing that---gathering in the evening over a good home-cooked meal? Do you miss it? Well here is a favorite spring supper of ours that might tempt you to by-pass the neighborhood grill-and-bar this spring and come home to suppertime: Lime-Cilantro Chicken with Rice & Port.

Lime-Cilantro Chicken

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This is one of Steven’s favorite recipes---easy but elegant enough to light candles and put on a little Bach. Steve served it last year to a young couple just out of culinary school and they loved it. You can prepare it in the oven on these chilly spring evenings, then switch to your grill as summer comes on.

Ingredients:

2 whole split breasts with skin (Best with Greenwood Farms pastured broilers) - Thaw in refrigerator and rinse with cold water.

Lime marinade

Juice of 1 medium lime

2 TBS olive oil

3 TBS chopped cilantro

Lime-Cilantro butter

6 TBS salted butter softened

1 small lime

2 small shallots

3 TBS minced cilantro leaves

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Prepare chicken:

Combine lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Place chicken in the marinade in a large plastic bag and refrigerate over-night.

Prepare butter:

Cream the butter in a mixer or food processor. Grate ½ tsp lime zest and squeeze 1 ½ tsp juice from the lime. Beat the juice and zest into the butter. Peal and mince the shallot and stir with the cilantro and cayenne pepper into the butter. Mold into a log and seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate. (Will freeze up to a month).

Preheat broiler to 475ºF . Remove chicken from the bag and broil, bone side up for 11 minutes. Lower rack and broil right side up for 5 minutes at 550ºF until juices run clear and all pink disappears from meat. Top each breast with a slice of butter just before serving.

Rice with Port and Pecans

½ cup chopped pecans

1 cup Basmati or Texmati rice

2 ½ cups chicken stock or organic canned chicken broth

1 small onion

1 carrot

3 TBS butter

¼ cup tawny port (Note: We use cream sherry; it’s sweeter, but we still call it rice with port because it sounds neat).

½ tsp salt for the rice

½ tsp salt for the port

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 TBS minced parsley

Toast pecans in a baking dish at 350ºF for about 5 minutes or for 10 seconds, on high, in the microwave.

Bring 1 cup of rice to a boil in 2 cups of water. Simmer until water is absorbed and rice is barely tender. May refrigerate overnight or cool to room temperature. Peel and mince onion. Peel and dice carrot. Heat butter in a large skillet, add onions and carrot, and sauté until tender -  about 4 minutes. Stir in port and simmer until liquid evaporates. Add cooled rice and pecans and sauté until not. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Add some hot crusty bread a green spring salad and you’re set.