This week the local Ingles grocery had fresh, never frozen, free-range, drug-free, vegetarian-fed chickens. As if that weren't astounding enough, it also had them on sale for 99 cents a pound. I bought a four-and-a-half-pounder and made the following. It's loosely adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. It turned out really delicious and I think at least half the credit goes to the chicken itself--I've never seen a chicken stay so juicy when it's roasted uncovered.

By the way, the jalapeño and cayenne peppers were late holdouts from our otherwise defunct garden. Now if anyone can tell me what to do with exactly two pods of okra, we'll be in business!

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
4 1/2-lb. chicken, whole
powdered ginger, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
a handful each of fresh parsley and fennel leaves, chopped coarsely
2 green bell peppers, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 very ripe (red) jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 fresh cayenne pepper, snipped into tiny pieces
a large onion, chopped into chunks
20-oz. can chunk pineapple, drained except for a couple Tbs. of juice
2 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Season chicken generously inside and out with ginger, salt, and pepper. Stuff parsley and fennel leaves into cavity.
Place chicken in large baking dish and surround it with peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks. Drizzle the pineapple juice and olive oil over everything.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour 45 minutes, until juices run clear and thigh tests 180 degrees F.