Whether you buy into the whole Valentine’s Day romance thing or not—it’s a great excuse to gather those close to you and show them you care by cooking up some love. Gary Westby and Scott Beckerley recommended a number of food-friendly sparklers in the February newsletter, including the 2000 Launois Blanc de Blanc and the 2002 Franck Bonville Brut Millesime Blanc de Blanc. These Champagnes pair amazingly well with a broad variety of foods, from sweet to savory. I wrote up a quick menu that would go nicely with these romantic vinous treats, starting with a Dungeness Crab and Fennel Salad recipe and promised the rest of the recipes on the blog. So, without further ado, here are the promised recipes:

Crab & Fennel Salad
Organic Brined Chicken with Long-Cooked Broccoli and Polenta
Cheese Plate

Dungeness Crab and Fennel Salad:
2 fennel bulbs
1 lb fresh Dungeness crabmeat
½ lb fresh baby spinach

Dressing

2 tbsp lime juice
¾ tsp sesame oil
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp white pepper
1 tbsp Sriracha
Honey to taste

Remove fennel stalks. Cut bulbs in half lengthwise then slice the crosswise, creating half moons. Lightly toss in a large bowl with crab meat and spinach.

Whisk lime juice, oils, pepper, Sriacha and honey in a small bowl to emulsify. Plate salad and drizzle with dressing.

Organic Whole Brined Chicken:
1 whole Organic chicken (3-5 lbs)
1 ½ cups course kosher salt
1 cup pure cane sugar
3 Bay leaves, bruised
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 sprig fresh rosemary
8 cups water (enough to completely submerge the chicken)
1 ½ tsp chipotle chile powder

Combine all of the ingredients in a large stock pot or brining bag, making sure the entire chicken is submerged. Refrigerate for at least eight hours and up to 24. Heat oven to 500 degrees or fire up the grill to the same temperature. Pat chicken dry and rub chile powder over skin. Place chicken on roasting pan and cover. Cook in oven or on grill about an hour, until the juices run clear; there won’t be a lot of drippings, but you should baste occasionally. When cooked through, let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.

Long-Cooked Broccoli:
2 broccoli crowns, separated into florets
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ tsp hot chile flakes
½ tsp coarse kosher salt or Malden sea salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, making sure to coat the broccoli florets with olive oil. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. The broccoli will be super tender and a deep, dark green. Some of the leaves might singe, but this actually adds depth of flavor to this side dish.

Polenta:
6 cups water
1 ½ cups polenta
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp butter

Bring salted water to a boil in a large sauce pan or “Dutch Oven.” Slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Lower heat and simmer, adding butter and salt and pepper to taste. This is a very simple polenta that can be quickly spiced up by grating fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano over it.

Cheese Plate:
The trick to a good cheese plate is diversity. Try using a soft cheese, a stinky cheese and an aged cheese for textural and flavor contrast. Spice the cheese plate up with fresh dates, a drizzle of honey and some dry roasted almonds.

Cheeses to try: La Tur, a tangy, soft, rich cheese; Piave, a firmer, aged cheese with nutty notes and hints of caramel; Lemon Stilton, a white Stilton with candied lemon peel!

—Leah Greenstein