Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Use organic, kosher, free-range chicken and organic vegetables for the safest and most delicious meal.

A chicken roasting in the oven on a cold afternoon warms the heart and hearth. In this recipe, the chicken flavors as it cooks the hearty winter vegetables kale, carrots and parsnips. The lemon and herbs infuse the chicken nicely. Here you find a well-rounded and delicious meal when served with a green leafy salad tossed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing, and slabs of fresh whole grain bread slathered with soft coconut oil. Serves 6

3-1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken
1 lemon, quartered
8 cloves fresh garlic, slivered
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
3 tsp dried thyme
3 T olive or coconut oil
1 bunch of kale
5 medium carrots, about 1 pound
3 large parsnips, about 1 pound
2 leeks or small red onions
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425º. Remove the giblets from the cavity and rinse the chicken inside and out. Sprinkle the cavity with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then stuff the chicken with the quartered lemon, half the chopped garlic, the thyme and the rosemary.
Push the remaining sliced garlic cloves under the chicken skin on the breast and legs; you may need to loosen the skin with your finger first.
With the open cavity and legs facing you, take an 18-inch piece of kitchen string and run it along the neck side of the chicken and around towards you, making the string hold down the wings. Loop the string around the legs and tie it so that the legs stay together. Cut off any excess string.
Rub the entire chicken with 1-2 T of the coconut or olive oil, and then sprinkle generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and bake, allowing the chicken to roast for 90 to 120 minutes. When done, the juices will run clear while piercing the thickest part of the thigh.
Meanwhile, prepare the kale. Wash the greens, cutting off the bottom few inches, and removing the toughest part of the stem. Tear the greens into large pieces, toss with 1 T coco or olive oil, and carefully add to the bottom of the roasting pan ½ hour into baking the chicken.
Peel and rinse the onions, and slice them into thick rings. Scrub the carrots and parsnips, cutting them diagonally into 1-1/2 inch lengths. Toss the vegetables with the remaining coconut or olive oil. One hour into baking, add the remaining vegetables to the bottom of the roasting pan. Check the vegetables, stirring occasionally. Allow veggies to brown evenly, removing them (if they get too dark) into a covered bowl to stay warm until the chicken is ready to serve.