Mike The Headless Chicken (as seen the in the May edition of the Source)

(as seen in the May edition of The Source  http://www.yvsource.com/)

What are you excited about this spring? I am gearing up for fruits and vegetables from the Grand Valley, I am stoked about picnics, festivals, outdoor concerts, and longer days.

Can you believe all that this valley has to offer? Music festivals, food festivals, headless chicken festivals… yeah you heard that right... Mike’s big day is coming soon. 

Mike the headless chicken days are May 17^th and 18^th in Fruita, Colorado. This is a great time to get out and celebrate the pluck (pun intended) of the chicken who would not go to the big fryer in the sky.

The story goes that Mike was on the menu one evening and his owner went to do the deed. Being the good son in law that he was, he attempted to leave as much of the neck intact for his wife’s mother.  Now if you have never been around someone who raises chickens for food, you might now realize the process. After you remove the head people have been known to let the fowl run around (like a chicken with his head cut off). This is strictly an adrenaline, muscle stimulation reaction. Except in Mike’s case… because so much of his neck was left, the remaining brain stem allowed him to live.

Photo linked from http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org

He had to be fed with a dropper and carefully taken care of because ummm well he didn’t have a head. (weren’t you paying attention?). So long story short is that Mike became a celebrity and toured around to sideshows and fairs until his untimely demise (again) due to choking. Makes me think about Al Capone… he was notorious as a gangster, criminal, and all around BAMF, but his down fall was tax evasion.  

I recommend you check out the site for the festival and participate in this crazy event. http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/. Maybe I will see you out there? 

It is said that the simplest and most complex dish is a roast chicken. Chefs work for years to find the perfect method for cooking this versatile protein.

This seems like a good recipe to start with…

Simple Roast Chicken (From www.realsimple.com)

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, giblets removed
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. Place the onion in a large roasting pan. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings under the chicken and place it on top of the onion. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Scatter the potatoes around the chicken, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. Roast, tossing the potatoes once, until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 165°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the chicken rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the potatoes and onions.

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