Fortress Fry-Up.

y'know that saying?
yeah.
'right in our own backyard'?
that's the one.
well,
very literally, right in the realiable log pile,
composed of pure woodsly goodness,
directly behind the Folk Life & Liberty Fortress,
there's an ever-dwindling birch tree that produces one hell of a mushroom.
yup.
every year, after a few rainy cold nights and hot dry days,
a totally elite chicken of the woods mushroom erupts and takes over,
and takes the prize for prettiest and most delicious indigenous ingredient.
word up.
i harvested a whole bunch of that laetiporus sulphureus,
and gave it the big deluxxxe treatment.
neighbors,
check the fried-chicken-of-the-woods-type teleport:

C'MON!!!
each rinsed and ripped strip,
warily cleansed of any possible beetles and worms
(the woodsly goodness knows these F*ers are crazy delicious,
and the window of opportunity to get 'em before the nature does is slim, indeed)
dredged in flax-activated cashew milk,
and rolled in a cornstarch/black pepper/GPOP/nootch blend,
with just hint of applewood smoked salt-
then deep fried in blistering canola oil..........
and then dominated deep down into our bellyholes.
yeah.
it went quick.
why?
because it tasted and smelled and looked like fried chicken,
but it WASN'T!
expert.
we went matheson-style on the fixin's-
shredded cabbage and radicchio,
thinly sliced baby dill gherkins,
sweet tomatoes, and scallion and cilantro sprankles.
dudes,
fried chicken(of the woods) tacos are atomic clock-stoppin' hottness.
-
i mean, really, though-
i was outside, walking crabtree,
and i spotted the orange blossom siren call of that big baby b!tch,
and i couldn't wait one minute more-
i had to have it, and i did just that.
look at the splendor, kids:

WOW.
nature wins, no contest.
*
the thing is,
tacos are dope any time of day or night,
and on any day of the week-
however,
on mexican monday,
there's accoutrements of a site-specific and situationall appropriate nature,
that really sort of have to get added onto the menu.
after all,
warrior poets need variety on their plates and palates.
real talk.
that's why we had our traditional buttery nootch-boosted refried beans,
blarpin' out in all their brown glory;
and salsa fresca, light on the spice, heavy on the garlic;
and overpriced organic avocados, ground up with a glut of greenery,
for a verde guacamole especial, as well.
that's all good stuff,
but the butter-fried broth-infused masa medallions up top
are what really got the whole gang fired up.
mmmmhmmmm.
with a garlic, red onion, black bean, sweet corn and scallion hash dashed along the top??
oh MAN,
we take family dinner to eleven.
also,
we take overeating to heart, as a matter of due course.
lucky for us, it's all good stuff,
and the participation level is at 100% before during and after.
the only real issue i've encountered lately?
even with 8 ft of countertop,
i could always use just a little more prep area.
hahaha.
you know what's up-
too much is the right amount,
and a little bit MORE is what i'm always after.
*
as usual, we did it right.
also,
i shared a bunch of those crucial 'shrooms with travis,
and he got it poppin' over @vegan_magic_time.
it's been great having another vegan food maniac around all summer.
i don't know what i'm gonna do when he leaves...
besides bake about a billion more loaves of bread, of course.
wordimus prime.
it's all interconnected,
and all of it is really happening,
and i couldn't ask for a more enjoyable cast of characters in this true story.
comedy, tragedy, history-
this is What Is,
and there's likely to be much more of it before our time is up;
never quiet, never soft.....