In just a few weeks, our local farmers markets will change from their winter to summer schedule! In Durham, April 5 will mark the new season with Saturday hours from 8am – noon and Wednesdays from 3:30 – 6:30pm starting April 16.
It's a wonderful time to check out the local produce and pick up a spring chicken from Little Tree Farm, owned by John and Dale Fluke, for an easy, healthy Sunday afternoon meal.
This recipe blends the flavors of France — hearty mustards and herbs d'Provence with our local honey and root vegetables. If you can find purple and yellow carrots, definitely give them a try! Their flavors — sweet and earthy — are extraordinary.
Ingredients
• 3 1/2 lb roasting chicken
• 3 Tbsp Herbs de provence
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp Whole seed mustard
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Herbs de provence
• 8 Carrots
• 10 Colored baby potatoes
• 1 Vidalia onion, quartered
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp Flour
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Dry the chicken and salt and pepper generously.
3. Pat herbs de Provence all over the chicken and inside the cavity until it is green.
4. Mix mustards and honey, herbs, and oil together into a paste. Using pastry brush, coat the chicken all the way around.
5. Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Surround it with quartered onion, then potatoes, and finally whole carrots.
6. Cover and roast in oven until juices run clear — about 1 hour 40 minutes. (You may wish to uncover the chicken in the last 15 minutes to get a crispy skin.)
7. Remove chicken and vegetables. Set on platter to rest. Place dutch oven on stove top under low heat. Mix butter and flour into a paste with a fork. Add to simmering stock and whisk until it lightly coats the back side of a spoon. Serve over chicken and vegetables.
