The buds are bursting all across my vineyard. Hopefully we are past the early spring freezes. I pruned like a mad woman all weekend. It’s tricky now that the buds are opening, because the slightest bump will damage them. Damaged buds don’t produce fruit.

The work is lonely, slow and methodical as I go through the rows. I feel a Zen-like peacefulness while training, tying and clipping each arm of each vine, paying careful attention to bud placement on the cordon wire. I revel in the smells of spring, the sounds of little birds chirping or owls hooting, and the feel of the sun warming my neck while cool drips of sap fall from each cut. My hands, arms and back ache. My neck and face are pink from the sun and wind. I love every minute I spend outside and wouldn’t trade that work for any office job.

Cilantro Chicken
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, julienned
5-6 cilantro sprigs, stems and leaves separated
1 cup wine or chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and cumin. Sear each side in a hot skillet drizzled with olive oil. Remove chicken, add butter and sauté onions and chopped cilantro stems. Cook until the onion turns golden. Add the wine or stock and chicken to the skillet and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare wild rice per the package directions. Before serving, stir in chopped cilantro leaves, cover and let sit while preparing a pan sauce.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and move onto a plate. Cover and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Add lemon juice to the skillet. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally while the juices in the pan thicken. That will take about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve the chicken with the cilantro and wild rice, spooning the pan sauce over both. A fresh green salad with vinegarette dressing is a great compliment to the earthy cumin and cilantro flavors in the chicken and wild rice.

If you have a cilantro aversion – interestingly linked to genetics and the lack of a certain enzyme – substitute fresh parsley, leaves and stems. Then I guess the recipe would be called Parsley Chicken.