Been thinking for a while about local cheeses, who makes them, where to buy them. Up in Galena, at Tom's Dairy, there are some locally made cave-aged cheeses that he offers: Smethe and Bouche, I think. He also has three or four nice goat cheeses. As well as a full line of the regulars.

Eve's Cheese has more "flavor profiles" every time I look. And Chapel's, a dairy farm in Easton, turns out a lovely semi-soft cheese called Chappelle.

But of course, the 800-lb gorilla (so far in my searches) is the cheese department at Whole Foods in Annapolis. So thought I would try to get an interview there. after two visits, have got the phone number of the regional manager who needs to okay my talking to the local department manager. Such tightly guarded secrets! This is somewhat on the level of trying to get the basting sauce recipe for the Lions Club chicken barbecue. Stay tuned.

Last night, the basil froze in the garden. This morning, the first guns of duck hunting season rang out as the sun hit the fog over the marsh. (Sun's out, guns out!) As the Weather Channel surprisingly noted, "the growing season is over."

Fortunately we gathered in the basil and now have roughly four tons sitting on the kitchen table, ready for something. Pesto, I suppose, but have you looked at the price of pine nuts lately? Didn't I read something about walnut pesto somewhere? If somebody has a good alternate recipe, let me know fast.

The great thing about now, of course, is that as the weather takes a turn for the colder, food takes a turn for the warmer, and the great flavors of fall appear. So let's hoist a glass of red, or a darker brown brew and say a prayer for the ducks.

Last Saturday, the Lion's Club in Chestertown rolled out their grills on wheels for the semi-annual Chicken BBQ. What a fest! Or is that feast? A thousand chicken halves lovingly slow-grilled, flipped every ten minutes by a dedicated team that coordinates like a NASCAR pitcrew, and daubbed with a secret sauce that's literally....secret.

The story? Some 40 years ago, a Lion bequeathed his award-winning sause recipe to the Club for these events and they've been raising funds with it ever since. Now only two in Chestertown know the recipe, and they ain't talkin'. But the result is all we care about. Moist chicken that falls off the bone, and funds for beaucoup good charities. Thanks, guys!

More info and insight into the secret coming in Skeeter's Corner. Stay tuned.