When Melanie and I first started dating, it had been a while since I had dated anyone seriously. My singledom was not wholly of my own design, but it was somewhat by choice. I just didn't seem able to find what I was looking for. I didn't have a type of girl or certain characteristics in mind; I had a feeling I once knew and I wanted to experience again.

It was a feeling of being not only in love with a person, but being in love with love, being in love with companionship, being in love with not being single. I searched for this kind of love again and it never seemed to be the same. So I thought maybe it was the feeling of first love, we only get that feeling once. When I realized I was searching for something that might be impossible to find, I tried to entertain the thought of dating women even when that feeling wasn't there. I could never actually go through with it for more than a couple months, and more likely, not more than a couple weeks.

I asked a friend of mine about his relationship with a girl he had been dating for over a year. His response: "She's really starting to grow on me". Before dating Melanie, my longest relationship had lasted about 8 months. I wasn't thrilled about hearing I might have to settle for the "starting to grow on me" feeling. I wasn't ready to give up on head-spinning romance. I wanted someone to wow me from day one; I wanted true love. And I wanted to find that first love glow all over again. Just when I thought it might not be possible to find it, Melanie and I started dating and I was floored with the rush of emotions that comes with true love. I had rediscovered that first love feeling, but this time it was a double shot of it.

On our first anniversary, we happened to be vacationing in Charleston. We went out for a nice dinner to celebrate and I decided to get a dessert wine at the end of the meal. I asked the sommelier for a recommendation. He pointed to a wine on the menu and said, "I think you'll really enjoy this one". Then he moved his finger down the menu and pointed to a slightly more expensive wine. In his Dominican accent he said, "But this one ‚ it is love in a glass". How could I not order a drink known as "love in a glass"?

I was reminded of that wine on Friday when we got our first milk delivery from South Mountain Creamery. The milk was delivered in a glass bottle straight from the farm. Fresh milk is far superior to milk that’s traveled a long distance, or sat on supermarket shelves for a while and milk in a glass bottle tastes so much better than milk from a plastic jug. Combining the two for fresh milk in a glass bottle it was "love in a glass" all over again. I loved milk as a child it was likely my first "love in a glass". And finding that kind of love once more was like that double shot of love.

When something that is not your first love brings back those rushing feelings of first love, you should recognize it for what it is and never let it go. It's why I got down on one knee one snow-stormy morning in Maine with a diamond ring and asked Melanie if we could spend forever together. And it‚'s why we've just placed a standing order for farm-fresh milk.

It is now 8 weeks until the last expected frost in the Washington DC area.  This will obviously vary depending on exactly where you are, mountains, valley, etc.  If growing plants from seed that you want to plant in the Spring most plants require starting them 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost.  So you may need to start your seeds now depending on what crop you're growing.  Check here to find the date of the last expected frost in your area.

    This recipe is mostly inspired by a meal that Melanie and I had at a local French cafe.  I've made it or something similar several times using chicken breast.  After looking through this month's Gourmet and seeing some similar recipes using whole chickens cut into parts I decided to alter my recipe to do the same.  Here I used poussins, small young birds weighing less than a pound each. 
    The mushrooms I chose were yellowfoot chanterelle.  They were delicious, but you can use many different mushroom types in this dish.  Experiment to figure out what you like best.

Ingredients:
2 whole poussins or one chicken (or chicken parts)
8 oz. mushrooms (white cultivated or wild) coarsely chopped
1 cup chunked carrots
1 cup sliced shallots
3 cloves garlic, finely diced or passed through a garlic press
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup dry vermouth or other dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Rosemary, thyme, or other herbs (or dried Herbs de Provence)
Salt and Pepper

    About an hour before cooking cut the chicken into parts and season with salt and pepper.  If using poussins cut into quarters.  If using a normal sized chicken cut into legs, thighs, breasts, and wings.  Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.  Season with about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt per pound of chicken and about an equal amount of freshly cracked pepper.  Loosely cover and place in the fridge for about an hour.
    I like this dish over rice, so you may want to put some rice on before you get started.
    Preheat oven to 450F.  Add one vegetable to a large, ovenproof skillet and place on medium high heat.  When hot add chicken, in two batches,  skin side down.  Cook each batch a total of about 5 minutes turning after 3.  Put first batch back into skillet and roast in the oven skin side up until just cooked through and golden brown, about 15 minutes for poussins, 30 minutes for a larger chicken.

    While the chicken is cooking, put butter in large saute pan over medium heat.  When bubbles subside add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  (When I cook I season everything with a little salt and pepper as I go.  Be careful not to over salt, but there are few ingredients that don't benefit for being salted while cooking.  The salt enhances the flavor of the food as it cooks with it instead of just sitting on top of it if added after cooking).  Sautee for a few minutes stirring regularly.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Uncover and add shallots.  Sautee shallots for a few minutes and then add the carrots and garlic.  After about a minute add the herbs.  You can use fresh herbs, or dried Herbs de Provence. 
    Raise heat slightly and add the vermouth or other white wine.  Julia Child states "white wine for cooking should be strong and dry, but never sour or fruity".  She also notes that if you have difficulty finding a good white wine for cooking "a good, dry, white vermouth is an excellent substitute, and much better than the wrong kind of white wine".  I like vermouth for cooking because it is relatively inexpensive and it keeps longer than most wine.  Bring the wine to a boil and cook until most of the wine evaporates.  Add the cream and bring to a boil stirring frequently.  Lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes.   Taste sauce and adjust seasoning.  Slide the chicken into the saute pan with the cream sauce.  Cover and simmer for about five minutes or put on low until ready to serve.  Serve over rice or with potatoes.

Green meat radishes are prized in Asia for their sweetness and juiciness.  They still have the sharpness of a red radish, but with a little more nuttiness and sweetness.  They are delicious sliced with a little salt and pepper.  They can be served by themselves, in salad, or with some grape tomatoes as pictured below.