Sunday Roast Chicken with Carrots (and Kale)

I have had a chicken in my freezer from Hilltop Pastures farm since late last summer - I have not had one of their chickens before, and it was tucked away for some treat later on. This weekend was the day! And oh my, it was delicious - so juicy and tender. Their chickens are pasture raised, and are comparable to Callister farms' chickens that are sold at the co-ops. These ones are cheaper (I can't remember how much now, but I know they were less than Callister) - though of course you have to get them at the market or via their delivery locations. I highly recommend all of their meat - it is all pastured, the beef is grass fed and finished, and the family is great. You will see them all at the Midtown Farmer's Market, including the kids. (I am already waiting for the spring market and their pork chops on a stick!)

Anyhow. Sunday chicken. I never had the "sunday roast" tradition in my family, but while cooking the chicken and a bunch of veggies, I sort of had a longing for something like it. There is something satisfying about making a big roast of some kind, with lots of side dishes, to eat earlier on Sunday for a nice long meal. I don't know, maybe it is also the hint of spring, and the longer days that make me want to linger over early dinner, followed by tea and a whole evening ahead. I mean, I can do things after dinner now! Not just go to bed?!

I decided to make the chicken with a simple compound butter of salt and cinnamon (garlic would be good too). I also made roasted carrots, and kale salad (with just a tablespoon or two of golden raisins instead of craisins). I had just a wee bit of left-over cauliflower mashed potatoes, so they got reheated and spooned onto the plate too. All in all, it was a pretty low maintenance dinner. I love things that roast in the oven requiring nothing from me.

My upside down chicken! It's so fat!

Roasted Chicken
1 3-4 pound chicken
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
3 T butter

1. Get your butter to room temp, and then use a spoon to mix it with the cinnamon to create a light brown butter mix. I put the compound butter under the skin and in the cavity of the bird. I also rubbed some on the outside, but the chicken was coola nd really the butter was not sticking to it. Later I thought I could have melted the compound butter and poured it on top. Anyway, however you do it, it will be good. Let the chicken sit out at room temp for about an hour or two before cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Put bird in the smallest pan that it fits in, and set it in the middle of the oven. I just left mine be for 90 minutes. You certainly could flip the bird, but I didn't. I did go in during the last 20 minutes or so and spoon the buttery liquid from the bottom of the pan back over the chicken. (For some reason I put the bird in breast side down. I am not sure if this contributed to the really juicy chicken meat or not!)

Roasted Carrots
8 Carrots, sliced lengthwise (go for thinner carrots than the big fat ones if you can)
1 1/2 T Butter (or coconut oil)
Salt
Fresh rosemary (opt)

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Lay carrots in a single layer in a baking sheet or pan that has a rim. Pour butter over the carrots, sprinkle with rosemary and salt. Bake in the 350 degree oven under the chicken for 35-45 minutes. I flipped my carrots once or twice during the cooking, but this does not seem necessary. (If you are making these separately and not with the chicken, you can do them in a 400 degree oven.) They turned out SO delicious.