Today at "The Glebe"..

Today's lunch was at, my home away from home right now, Baltimore's own "The Glebe" Cafe' with the owner and gardener Peter Perry.  Glebe Cafe' is in the "Bridgestones 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland" and the garden is "The Best 100 Gardens in Ireland"- Liberty Press.....What a cool little cafe/garden tucked away in some woods on a tiny piece of land jutting out into an ocean cove. They grow all of their own "organic" produce right on their property here and it's just incredible "local" food.  I had Quinoa/Goat Cheese/Herb Fritters with a Garden Salad and Glebe Sweet Chili Jam, and some Roasted Baby Potato. The salad couldnt have been more than minutes old, right from the garden.  All cooked and served by Peter's daughters Tessa, Keziah and JoJo,  a real "Family run" business.  Some great conversation with Peter who is a British transplant.  Peter sat on the Soil Association Board in the UK when they initiated "Organic" certification...yet chooses not to be raped by the Irish government in fees to use the IOFGA symbol for his gardens. Irony. It's both refreshing and sad at the same time to hear from Peter that they deal with the same non-sense that we do back in the states.  That we all cringe when in inspector shows up, be it health, fire, liquor..whatever.  That they have the same "money-grabbing" government bs that we do.    Yet at the same time in spite of the difficulties we do what we do because we love it, that ultimately we enjoy what we do and sharing it with others....from our staff to our customers.  We had a great talk about "chains" and "box-stores" and how they are the downfall off small town.  They are just starting to feel that pinch now.  I was saying how back home almost any small town would give their right arm to have what they have here..the mom and pop shops, the local pharmacy, candy store, electronics store....the local pubs and the small town grocery...but how once the cat is out of the bag there is no putting it back in.  How they have the opportunity right now to put a stop to it but are slowly letting it happen.  He was adamant about how Ireland could be self reliant (less gas/oil) if the government would better regulate who can do business here. It is a country of only about 4 million people, half of just NYC alone....really interesting talk.

 Tomorrow the work finally begins....I show up at Woodcock Smokery to work with Sally Ferns Barnes and her daughter Joleine at 10am to get down to something....not sure what to expect or what I will be doing but can't wait to get in and do it!  I have had a few of their smoked fish from a local market here, including the smoked mackerel I had with my dinner the other night......wicked good stuff.....  But for now its time to start making dinner....a local pork loin with some rosemary from outside my kitchen and some local mushrooms and leeks with roasted potato..oh, and a Guinness or two.  Sucks cooking for one....looking forward to the family coming next week...  Next year we need to get a small Salty group together to to this.....food- drink-
merry mayhem!