Roasted Stuff

Parsley flowers

There’s nothing more satisfying or versatile than a good roasted chicken and it’s pretty hard to mess up.  Last night Derek roasted some vegetables with the chicken, and the house smelled SOOO good.  Some of the veggies were from our garden, including the fennel (my new favorite) and beets; he also threw in some chunks of potato, red bell pepper and onion.  We should be picking our own red bell peppers soon enough and that will be a very exciting day for me, considering how much I love them and what they cost in stores these days.  When roasting vegetables, it’s important to cut them into similar sizes and toss them with some kind of oil.  I usually use EVOO, but it’s not necessary when you’re roasting them with a chicken, which will produce plenty enough of its own juices and rendered fat.  I’m a big fan of using the fat from whatever protein you’re preparing to give more flavor to your food, but that’s not a good idea if you’re watching your cholesterol and/or fat intake.  I suppose we all should be, but where’s the fun in that?  If you are, and you want roasted veggies with your chicken, cook them separately on a cookie sheet tossed with a tablespoon of olive oil, a little salt and freshly ground pepper.  Another of my secrets for roasting a chicken is to put some fresh herbs under the skin of the breast to keep it moist.  I use whole parsley leaves and/or celery leaves, thyme, rosemary, etc, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  The herbs impart a bit of mild flavor, but more importantly, they produce moisture as they cook without adding fat or calories.  I usually put some in the cavity, too, with salt and pepper and maybe some onion.  I’ll walk you through it next time I roast a chicken – which may not be until fall if this unseasonably hot weather continues!

Today, however, it’s been an absolutely gorgeous day: a high in the low 80’s, very little humidity, and a clear blue sky with a constant breeze.  I’m putting together a “cold” plate of leftover roasted chicken and vegetables with some of our delicious home-grown tomatoes and a few olives.  I prefer leftover chicken at room temperature, so it’s a simple matter of taking everything out of the refrigerator for an hour or so and arranging it on the plate in an aesthetically pleasing way.  Then I drizzle it with a simple vinaigrette and garnish it with herbs.  Hmmm…maybe I should let Derek do that!