something yummy for which i can think of no suitable name

spring is here! spring is here! it's about time!!! for those of you not yet able to enjoy the lovely weather i have here. i am sorry. i just heard that many of my dear friends and family members received a lovely april fool's joke from mother nature. she clearly doesn't own a calendar. april fool's day was friday. HELLO! well, i made a meal tonight that is perfectly suitable for any time of year and any sort of weather. well, maybe not the intense heat of summer, since it involves lots of roating, but the other three seasons will love it! i can't think of a good name for it that isn't super long (balsamic and herb crusted chicken with roast vegetables is a mouthful), so if you have any suggestions, i'd love to hear them.

veggies:

1/2 large or 1 small onion
3-5 carrots, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1 lb baby or "new" potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
whisk together herbs, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. toss veggies and let marinade 15 minutes. scoop out veggies and place in a roasting pan. reserve marinade for chicken. roast veggies at 375 degress 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender.



chicken:

* the chicken is a little dark, not because it is burned, but because balsamic vinegar has a high sugar content (as far as vinegars go) and that get's dark in the oven.

1 whole chicken
1/2 large or 1 small onion, cut into wedges
remaining veggie marinade

preheat oven to 375 degrees. rinse chicken and pat dry, your coating will not stick to a wet chicken.  truss your chicken (or don't. i never do) and place in a roasting pan. place onion in the cavity. pour herb mixture over the top and give your bird a loving massage. place him in the heat lodge known as your oven and let him roast until he reaches a balmy internal temperature of 185 degrees and/or juices run clear. serve with roasted veggies.


just to be sure nothing went to waste i made a pan gravy from the drippings (just add a tablespoon or so of flour and whisk in some chicken stock to finish it off)

and to round out the meal, a big, fat salad: