I can't believe it has taken me this long to tell you about my farmer's market adventure with my lovely sister-in-law, Brooke. She too is a teacher and has her summer off, except that she has a dear little babe to look after. Great deal for me, as I love to hang out with those two on my time off.
A few weeks ago we decided to stroll down to the Green City Market with E to pick up a bunch of ingredients for dinner with the husbands. It turned out to be such a fun day; we discovered a small petting zoo nearby and decided to show Eleanor the joys of baby animals. Boy, did she love it. It was so cute to see her eyes light up hear her little squeals. Just darling.
We ended up making a delicious roasted chicken, a greens salad with fresh radishes and an herb vinaigrette, balsamic asparagus, and a rhubarb cobbler for dessert. The boys were very excited to come back to a mini-Thanksgiving of sorts, and we were happy to spend the day together cooking and chatting.
Husband and I are up in Holland now, spending more time with his family and enjoying the beach. You may even get to hear from Brooke soon, as she is planning a fabulous dinner for us on Monday night. Did I mention that our love for cooking runs in the family? Lucky us.
Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
by Ina Garten
Chicken:
1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in half
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound sliced bacon
Kosher salt and pepper
Gravy:
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken giblets and rinse the chicken. Make sure to get rid of any extra fat and leftover pinfeathers, then pat the chicken dry. Put chicken in a large roasting pan and salt and pepper the outside liberally. Stuff the majority of the thyme, one lemon (halved), and two halves of the garlic inside the chicken cavity. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and salt and pepper again. Using kitchen string, tie the legs together and tuck the wings underneath the body. Quarter two of the lemons and place in the roasting pan around the chicken with the rest of the garlic. Cover the outside of the chicken with the bacon slices and place pan in the oven.
Roast for 1 hour, then take chicken out to remove bacon slices. Set bacon aside. Roast again for another 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Place chicken on a serving platter and cover with foil while making the gravy.
To make gravy, pour fat from the bottom of the roasting pan into a small saucepan, leaving out 2 tablespoons. Add wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about five minutes. *Note: We were not sure how we felt about this gravy. I would either not use as much fat next time, or omit it completely.
Slice chicken and garnish with bacon, roasted garlic, extra thyme, and the last lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy. Bon appetit!
