ilovermont.

summer in vermont – it doesn’t get much better.  better still, my amazing extra parents, mama jean & papa david, live there so my boy & i spent last august with them on the commune.  i’ve been close to a dozen times and this trip was magic – splashing around in lakes & barreling along dirt roads, breaking bread, picking berries & slaughtering a chicken.  yep.  i said it.  my own micro-version of farm-to-table.  i shifted from city-girl-in-the-country to more of a country-girl-in-the-country (including sensible braids & muck muck boots) for the slaughter.  but most of august was spent as it should be – under a big sun in a teeny bikini.

roast chicken with lemon, olive & thyme (serves 4)
1 large onion, thickly sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
½ C. pitted green sicilian olives or other brine-cured green olives
2 meyer lemons, cut into ½” slices*
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 C. chicken stock
1 C. dry white wine
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
¼ tsp. red chili flakes or more to taste
5T. olive oil

preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

scatter onion, thyme, olives, lemon slices & garlic in a roasting pan.  add chicken stock & wine to pan.  season chicken with salt, pepper & chili flakes.  arrange chicken, skin side up, in roasting pan & drizzle with olive oil.  roast uncovered until chicken is deeply browned, skin is crisp & chicken is cooked through, 45 – 50 minutes.  let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

*meyer lemon slices are entirely edible & delicious with the chicken – peel & all.