This is the second month of our Blogger Tasting Panel where we work with a select group of passionate food bloggers who get a sneak preview of an ingredient in this month’s Tasting Box. They get the chance to play around in the kitchen to come up with their best recipe. This month it was all about fresh herb sea salts from Woody’s Gourmet.

This month’s winning recipe comes from Kasey and Matthew Hickey of Turntable Kitchen, a blog that connects food and music. The husband and wife team focuses on local ingredients, album reviews and hand-selected food/music pairings. The winning recipe was Weeknight Roast Chicken and Potatoes.

Why a winner? We thought this recipe highlighted exactly what’s amazing about flavored salts. With just a few ingredients you can pull together a meal in no time. With just two flavors of the salts, and two main ingredients (the chicken and potatoes) Kasey and Matt were able to pull together an entire meal, pretty awesome. Plus the technique of searing the chicken before roasting is brilliant; it made the skin soo crispy and good. I think we all need inspiration to pull together dinner so simply on a weeknight. Thanks Kasey and Matthew!

Kasey and Matthew’s recipe can be found in the May Tasting Box and posted here. We also had awesome entries from other bloggers who participated that we’ll feature here for more ideas. Enjoy!

Grilled Fava Crostini – Fois Gras & Flannel

Collard Wraps – Healthy Exposures

Pan-fried Whole Fava Beans – The Year in Food

Grilled Basil Lemongrass Shrimp – The Non-Dairy Queen

Potatoes and Mushroom Sidedish – Go Meat Yourself

Roasted Chickpeas & Salty Cornmeal Cookies – Of Cookies & Carrots

Lemon & Dill Roasted Potato Sticks – Love Veggies & Yoga

Weeknight Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Serving: Feeds 2 people

Recipe from Turntable Kitchen

• 1 small whole chicken (about 3 – 3 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tbsp of Woody’s Gourmet Basil & Lemongrass Herb Sea Salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 sprigs of fresh marjoram
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb of small German butterball potatoes
• Woody’s Gourmet Fresh Rosemary and Sage Sea Salt, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat it dry. Drizzle the olive oil on top and rub it over the chicken.

3. Rub the chicken (inside and out) with the lemongrass sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stuff the cavity with the sprigs of fresh marjoram.

4. Rinse the potatoes and place them into a baking dish. Toss them with the rosemary sea salt (to taste), a sprinkling of freshly-ground pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

5. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, place the chicken, breast side down, into the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, letting the skin brown lightly. Flip to the other side, and cook for a few minutes before flipping it again and placing it in the oven to roast.

6. Place the potatoes alongside the chicken. Check the potatoes after about 30 minutes and take them out of the oven when they’re fork-tender. Check the chicken to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour (until the juices run clear). Remove the chicken from the cast iron skillet and set it on a large cutting board. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving it (this helps keep it moist and juicy).

7. Serve the chicken with the potatoes.