A Roasting.

My excitement over being allowed to post on a food blog is overshadowed by one simple fact: I'm here for the comic relief. Not so much funny haha but rather, "funny, you don't cook." What I have going for me is the zeal of a beginner, and a good friend and neighbor who enjoys teaching me things like egg-boiling and chicken-breading.

I'm pleased to meet you, blog readers.

Lisa and I ventured into new territories this fall by signing up for Arganica Farms. I'm doing it mostly so that I have no excuse but to eat my vegetables. I was scared to order any meat, being an ex-vegetarian who still dabbles, but I ordered an organic chicken. At $4, this is a steal.

Unfortunately, at $4 it also had...a neck. Gobble gobble.

I called my mom for help, who told me to chop "it" off, but I just couldn't bear it. I pretended "it" did not exist. I added a little olive oil, some salt and pepper and threw that bad boy in the oven with some butternut squash and potatoes. It came out great - super juicy and delicious. I immediately took every scrap of meat off the bone and threw the...um...carcass out. So what? (This is where Lisa heaves a sigh at the loss of a beautiful pot of chicken stock).

Mara's Badass Chicken (with Neck)
1 organic chicken, about 4 lbs.
1 neck (ignore)
4 white potatoes, peeled and chopped large
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped large
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Rub everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350, add chopped veggies to the pan, and continue roasting until chicken is cooked, about 45 more minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 and juices run clear. Rest for 20 minutes before carving. (...like I did that).