BACK TO EASTON

A busy day in Easton was to be had and so we needed to skip breakfast at Tilghman Island Inn.

It took about 45 minutes through St. Michaels and parts of Easton to get to Chapel's Country Creamery on Chapel Road.  We were greeted by three dogs and Holly Foster, the co-owner of the dairy.  Holly owns it with her husband, who happens to be a veterinarian.  Their offspring work the farm as well.  Holly uses Jersey Cows for the raw milk products.  Each time a cow gives birth, the milk is ready to be pumped out.  We saw a bunch of calves, each having their own "indoor-outdoor" home.  Alongside was a dog who tended to the cows.  The dog was barking much and when we over to the fence it turned out that a 3-day old calf got out and walking about.  Before they put it in it's own cubby hole, I was able to pet it. One calf was newly born and still wet.

Holly then shared her experience of how she cuts the cheese...that is...cutting the curds.  The milk is combined with a vegetable rennet and heated causing the curds to rise and separate from the whey.  Prior to this, certain cultures are added, in order to produce the type of cheese.  The results depends upon the packing and further draining of the whey.  Aging cheese is another factor.  When you look at the ingredients for cheese, you will most likely see that same ingredients in most cheeses.  We then had the opportunity to do a cheese tasting.  Most delicious was another product; yogurt with the cream at the top.  Only a few flavors such as adding local honey or vanilla bean. Gee...all the things you can do with milk. 

Easton is for the birds at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center at Audubon Lane.  Mark Scallion gave us a quick tour of the center that is composed of many trails to view many birds.  I didn't see many as I was unable to hike into the trails.  However, I did see and eagle going after its prey.  I expected to see turkey vultures.  As it turns out, these bald eagles are much stronger than the vultures....if you know what I mean. 

It was now time for lunch as we went back into town to Mason's, located just next door to the Bartlett Pear Inn.  Outdoor seating was both on the side and on the porch.  We lunched on the porch so we could see the people walking on Harrison Street.  I had a scrumptious quiche of the day along with a bit of a salad.  Abutting the restaurant is their gourmet food store selling chocolates....mmmmm....chocolate.

At one point on the trip we stopped at a drive-in kiosk selling coffee.  I'm not a coffee drinker, but more curious.  Loved it.  It was called Rise Up, a local coffee roaster on Dover Street.  Needless to say, with much local products being used in this area, we ventured to their main building.  Timothy Cureton and Noah Kegley are the owners and Sarah Pitre is the Head Roaster...no...she doesn't roast heads....

The front of the store is set up for people to purchase their cups of coffee or buy it by the organic beans.  It's a sort of warehouse as you go to the back area that has odd tables, chairs and couches.  Free wi-fi.  Behind that area is where you can see the roaster. I took home a bag of regular and decaf.  Drinking it depends upon what time of day it is.

Not being sure on how much time it would take to go home, we stopped at a place called Capriotti's to pick up a sandwich.  It's a small chain of  stores that are way a cut above from Subway.  In fact, I chose a turkey sandwich where they are using real turkey and does not look like deli meat.  Added the trimmings and we were off to New York. 

ROAD TRIPPING TO TALBOT COUNTY, MARYLAND

I love to explore areas that are not usually visited and written about.  They become "gems".   Laurie and I decided on a road trip to Talbot County in Maryland, located around the Chesapeake Bay.  We traveled from New York City going through New Jersey and Delaware and using a GPS.

Although the trip could have been done without a stop we thought it better to get out an stretch after about two hours. It is both good for both the driver as well as passengers for blood circulation, even if you don't require the use of a restroom.  Keeping hydrated in a car may not be as important as in an airplane, so pack bottles of water to keep from buying more expensive at the rest stops.

Talbot County has special towns, each with their own ambiance and things to do.  Easton is the heart of the county and the location of the main tourism office.  That is where we headed to.

It was getting to a bit past lunchtime and found a place called Oxford Greens Homestore and Market Restaurant at 124 Aurora Street. From the outside you would never tell that the decor has lots of antiques.  Laurie bought a sandwich.  I tried one of the desserts...tiramisu....yummy.  The owner is a chef. 

The tourism office is located on Harrison Street, one of the main strips of Easton.  Just outside the office sat a bus, owned by the group called The Grascals, a Bluegrass group.   We would later be attending the show at the Avalon Theatre, located on Dover Street, just caddy corner from The Tidewater Inn, where we would be staying overnight.

Being the first Friday of the month, Easton does an Art Walk. However, this will change beginning in June of 2013 moving it to the first Saturday.  Easton is known for having lots of art galleries as well as the Academy Art Museum on South Street.  We took some of the walk spending some time at Troika Gallery, just next door to the visitor center.  Two of the three owners were present, Laura Era and Jennifer Heyd, each having their own style of art work. 

Most intriguing was a piece of art that Laura (in the back) was commissioned to paint.  It appears that Anna Ella Carroll was much a part of the Abe Lincoln/Civil War era without getting her due credit in a painting.  The Francis B. Carpenter's famous 1864 painting, "First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln" depicts an empty chair draped with a red shawl, along with maps and notes similar to those Carroll carried, an attempt to recognize Carroll.  Thanks to Laura, Anna is now in the painting entitled "Maryland's Version of First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation".

We stopped into one store, that was not an art gallery, where they were having a wine tasting.  The wines were from Maryland but in the abutting county of Dorchester.  Many of the galleries offer some food or refreshment. Here are other photos of our walk.

Dinner was at the Bartlett Pear Inn.  Jordan and Alice Lloyd are the owners with Jordan as the Executive Chef.  I would characterize it as "local finest dining cuisine".  Jordan not only makes it a point to use local foods, you can just see the amount of work done to complete each dish, even beyond the art work itself.
Being the name of Barlett Pear, I had to have a pear drink.  It was a pear liquor mixed with a pear puree.  Boy do they make a great pear!

I should have take a photo of the bread and butter.  The bread is made in the kitchen, the butter is coming from a local creamery called Nice Farms Creamery.  Best butter I've had in years!!!  Turned down the butter at every other restaurant. 

Here is the info given to me by Jordan regarding the food being local. Salad The salad greens are from Turtle Boy Farms. Turtle Boy's name is Will.  He picks the greens daily upon request. Timely service is his specialty.  His farm is 2 years old, in Ridgely. The greens are a mixture of tatsoi, arugula and mizuna.  Sliced cucumbers and a 300 year old aged balsamic.  We always have an array of pickled vegetables. Right now we are using a raspberry vinaigrette. For a bit of crunch, we make a thin crisp savory cookie, spiced with black peppercorn.

Rabbit The rabbit is from Nibble Green Farm (Hagerstown).  The specialty behind this dish is that we make a natural French jus from the bones of the creature. Reduced, it is the texture of jello. This is the filling for the ravioli.. When the ravioli is broken, the sauce is received. The shape comes from a classic french method called ballotine.  The rabbit is deboned, pounded thin and then rolled around a julienne of carrots.  This is our little way showing what the rabbit may have eaten.  It is then seared, sliced and presented.

Fluke The vegetable barrel is stolen from Marco Pierre White. Beautiful technique.  Beurre Blanc, a constant somewhere on our menu.  The fluke is coming from North carolina and is steamed.  Steaming is the cleanest way to present the simple nuances of a delicate fish.  House cured pork belly (bacon) are cooked until crisp and strewn about the dish.

Bass English Peas are the most exciting ingredient.  I took them early this year from a place I was unawre of.  Teddy Bear Produce is my produce company.  They always give me quality.  Shamefully I didn't ask where they came from, I just used them knowing they were not from my immediate area. We should have ours soon. The bass is coated very simply with a sauce called "Vierge". I choose a English Pea Vierge.  English Peas-Nicoise Olives - Lemon Segments- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon Juice, capers and fresh herbs.  Garlic Confit also garnishes the plate as smooth puree.

The chocolate cake is made by a baker on the premises.  Chocolate itself comes from a local company called Sibu Sura of which they start from the cocoa beans from Peru.  Ice cream is made in the kitchen.

Dinner ending, it was time to walk over to the Avalon Theatre to see the Grascals. This Bluegrass group consists of:  Danny Roberts on the mandolin, fiddler Jeremny Abshire, Jamie Johson and Terry Eldredge with their guitars, Terry Smith on the bass and an extremely talented Kristin Scott Benson plucking the banjo.