DAY FOUR!!!!

y'know,
sandwich week really IS the best week.
that's for real.
and once it gets underway,
an avalanche of ideas starts sliding off the ol' brain,
to the extent that i'm crushed under all the potential,
far beyond my capacity to micromanage my minutes in such a manner
as to accommodate each and every one before the second sunday shows up.
seriously,
too much is the right amount,
but there's never enough time.
that's the biggest issue i face every single day.
so,
yesterday i got up as early as ever,
but with more determination than usual,
and i fired up TWO big sandwiches,
AND a lil bitty brekkie jaun, too.
mmhmmm.
i'm ON it, man.
y'all ever had sausage and broccoli rabe together?
it's magnificent.
and if you add on some exxxtras, and some sprankles,
that becomes a monumentally heroic heap of new hottness.
also,
if you just happen to fire up some semi-semolina sub rolls from scratch?
at that point, you can justifiably consider yourself a total F*ing expert.
real talk.
on the ones, check the teleport:

TRIUMPHANT!!!
i'm just sayin',
if you love food even half as much as i do,
you'll fall head over heels for this cassanova frankenstein!
dudes!
the sub rolls are soft and supple and toasty, too.
the broccoli rabe is completely bitter-less, and buttery as heck.
the caramelized onions go so well with the homemade sausage,
you'd swear i shoved an animal into it's own butthole,
BUT I DIDN'T AND I WOULDN'T, EVER!
actually,
there's no wrong notes in the sumptuous symphony of succulence.
it's 100% expert, and it goes straight up to eleven on the first bite.
word up.
look closer:

C'MON, MAN!!
the garlic is sliced and browned in olive oil.
those potatoes?!
bro,
there are baked potato crisps on there!!!
baked until brown in a 350℉ oven, after a uniform mandoline slice up,
and a drizzle of oil, some pink salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.
SO dope.
the tomatoes are blackened in the garlic-infused oil from before,
and the broccoli rabe is blanched in boiling water for exxxactly two minutes,
before getting fried up for a second in a hot pan.
caramelized onions are pretty straightforward,
but not when you're upgrading to über-elite hot fire-
that's when you fire up three homemade red lentil seitan sausages,.
and toss 'em in with the slightly browned onion,
sear all of it,
and then deglaze the lot in 3T fire roasted tomato juice.
WOW.
like, WOWOWOWOWOW!!
the homemade sausage recipe?
ok:
-
*
RED LENTIL SAUSAGES!
-
prepare your red lentils:
1/4 cup sauteed minced sweet onion;
2 cloves crushed garlic;
1/2 cup red lentils;
1 1/2 cups broth;
liquid smoke;
2 T soy sauce;
2 T olive oil.
boil that down to a mash,
and add it to:
1 cup wheat gluten;
2 T tapioca starch;
GPOP, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, mustard powder,
nootch, crushed fennel, black pepper, smoked paprika, and a pinch of sugar.
roll it, knead it, rest it for ten minutes, and then roll it up into links.
wrap those in foil, tighten the ends, and steam them for twenty minutes.
kaBOOM.
red lentil sausages are now on the menu.
tight!
-
the bread is a fairly standard bun recipe, with exxxtra olive oil on top-
-
*
BUNZZ!
-
preheat your oven to 375℉
-
in your indispensable, indefatigable stand mixer, combine:
2 cups a.p. flour;
1 pkg regular action yeast;
3 T olive oil;
1 1/2 tsp salt;
1 tsp sugar;
3/4+ cup warm water;
a splash of agave, and 1 tsp bread machine yeast, bloomed in the water.
knead it for eight minutes on medium speed,
rest it for twenty, divide and shape some loaves, oil the tops, slice 'em, 
and let 'em rise for another fifteen,
before baking those bad boys, floured on a tray, for twenty minutes.
bread. just like that.
....nice.
***********
but, what about breakfast?
ha!
i GOT you, friend:

scrambo on rye!
with maple seitan sausage and allllll the peppers.
perfection.
-
it's the sum of the parts, neighbors.
every piece working in perfect unison, a coordinated effort by all ingredients
to create an experience worthy of the warmest memories.
sandwich week isn't just about food.
it's about creativity and imagination.
it's about active participation and appreciation.
there's no time for store-bought bullsh!t here.
we make our own dreams come true,
and we don't take shortcuts.
everything is important, and that's the whole thing about living a remote Folk Life:
the conveniences are limited, but the victories are more rewarding for the added effort.
it's ALL really happening,
and the intentional fixation and focus of these meals is just one way
we make the time we've been given into a moment of victory.
if you're a simple, lazy A*-hole, it's just a lot of sandwiches,
but if you're paying attention, it's a paean of passion to the life we live;
never quiet, never soft.....