Perfect Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Ingredients
Serves 4 -6

1 5-lb pastured whole chicken
Fresh sage
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, coarsely chopped
Veggies of your choice: Carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, onions, beets, squash, and leeks. Root vegetables will probably with stand the roasting process better. Use enough veggies to cover the bottom of a roasting pan.
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Two hours before roasting, remove chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Remove any organs from the cavity. Rinse chicken and pat inside and out really dry.

Generously season inside the cavity with salt and pepper.

Fill cavity with onion, lemon and a few sprigs of herbs. Prepare vegetables, leaving in fairly large chunks.

In a large bowl, toss with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil plus salt and pepper. Spread in a large roasting pan. Slip hand under the skin of the chicken over the breasts (and legs if you can wiggle your hand in without ripping the skin).

Place several sprigs of sage, rosemary and thyme under the skin. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the chicken, rubbing all over the skin. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Nestle chicken into the center of the vegetables. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is golden brown, and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.