Chicken Mushrooms

I've never noticed the Violet Hill Farm stand before, but yesterday I saw a funny looking fungus type thing with this funny sign.

 

They have a strong smell that reminded me of Porcini mushrooms.  I'll report back here after I have cooked them (apparently they taste like chicken and are meant to be cooked as you would a chicken). 

The people at Violet Hill used to sell Pork, but are having some issues with the FDA about the ridiculous rules required for slaughtering animals that makes it almost impossible for farmers and other small producers of meat to control the process of butchering their animals.  This is because the FDA is in the pockets of big AG and actively discourages small artisanal abattoirs.  For example one of the requirements for a meat processing facility is that said facility has to provide a bathroom for the FDA inspector (specifically for the inspector, no one else), so if you want to butcher meat you have to build a toilet for the inspector.  For real..... you couldn't make this shit up.  Joel Salatin talks a lot about this; if you want to know more check out his site.

I hope the people at Violet Hill are able to work something out and that the FDA radically overhauls their rules and regulations so that farmers are able to have complete control over how the animals they raised are slaughtered and butchered.  In the meantime you can get wonderful Belle Rouge Chickens and a selection of forgaged goodies at Violet Hills Farm stand.

I love the crazy shit you can find on the internet.  This is a lecture given by forager "wild man" Steve Brill about Chicken Mushrooms which apparently grow in the parks of NYC.  It's longish but actually pretty interesting.