Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Fodder diversity? Yes, friend and organic-seed farmer Frank Morton, of "Wild Seed Farm," Oregon tells me, with the trend to eat clean, organic free-range chicken, his regional chicken ranch orders for organic Purslane and Chickweed seed has tripled in the past six months.

Coming from a farming family, I understand how gratify- ing it is to live off the land and just how much work it really is. Today, while I might be heard speaking to a symposium of food writers with the theme, "trending the millennial," Frank Morton's information got me thinking: Could the jump in organic fodder seed sales be the beginning of a critter cuisine revival?!

For those interested in taking a concept in organic farming a step further, it's time to get your fields certified organic and growing seed to gather as part of the clean organic critter seed movement.

Before leaving the state last week, I tasted a local wine worth mentioning: Dumas Station's 2010 Estate Merlot, known to some as a "Cab-Lovers Merlot" because of its rich and lingering tongue. This vintage is an exceptional effort, to be release in April 2013. With such integrity, owners Doug Harvey and Jay DeWitt work to perfect the art in winemaking at Dumas Station. The 2010 Estate Merlot is no exception.

Wine tasting notes for this vintage are as follows: nose buried deep in the glass, a rush of sassafras spice opens the senses. With first sip, a wide swoosh of balanced sugars and acidic tang paints the cheeks, soaking the palate in ripe blackberries and macerated Bing cherries, wrapping around the tongue in a long soft squeeze.

Dumas Winemaker Jay DeWitt, you walk the walk and love the terrior. The end result is a boutique line of sumptu- ous red wines. It's with this in mind that yours truly, Judith Henderson of Wine & Country Living, honors you with 98 points of Wine Perfection for the Dumas Station 2010 Estate Merlot. Congratulations Dumas Station! 509-382-8933, 36229 Highway 12, Dayton, Washington.

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagination!"

Baked Chicken Dujour

Serves 4

1-heavily butter-rubbed whole chicken

1-pounded bay leaf

1-tablespoon lemon zest

1-teaspoon each: thyme, basil, lavender, sage

11/4-teaspoon each: coarse salt, cracked black pepper,granulated garlic

1-cup red wine

2-tablespoon honey

Place bay and lemon zest inside chicken cavity. Rub herbs, salt, pepper, garlic over buttered chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until leg is loose. Scrape pan drippings, fond, wine and honey into a sauce pan. Over medium high heat, whisk and reduce mixture by half until glossy and thickening.

Plate chicken, dribble dujour over meat paired with a bottle of Dumas Station 2010 Estate Merlothellip;"Yum!"

For recipe questions: www.chefjudithhenderson.com.