Herb-Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes

Looking for good ideas for Sunday dinner?  How about shaking things up and giving this recipe a try?  It will not disappoint!

1/2 medium red onion, roughly chopped

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh tarragon

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup plain yogurt

1 roasting chicken (6 - 7 lbs)

2 lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Pulse the onion, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, 2 Tbsp dill, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor.  Add 3 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, 2 tsp salt and pepper to taste; pulse until smooth.  

Stir half of the herb paste with the yogurt in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.  Loosen the skin with your fingers; rub some of the remaining herb paste under the skin and the rest on the outside of the bird.  Truss the chicken.  Place in a roasting pan; roast until the skin turns golden, about 30 minutes.  

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Baste the chicken with the drippings and add the tomatoes, cut side down, to the pan.  Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 155 degrees, about 1 hour.  Season with salt and pepper; let the chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.  

Arrange the chicken and tomatoes on a platter; sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp dill.  Serve with the yogurt sauce.