The Creole House on North Main Street in Cornelius is climbing back from a recent series of inspection issues and expects to reopen for dinner on Thursday, June 17. Meanwhile, Our Town Cinemas in Davidson is trying to get the word out about their cheap eats. Details below.

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Our backyard gardens are beginning to bear fruit, and the variety of summer produce at local farmers’ markets is expanding. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and red onions are easy find. Put them all together, add a bit of garlic, and you’re on your way to a cool summer dinner of gazpacho.

We had our first gazpacho of the season this week, dining on our side porch in the late-spring evening light. I think of this as a simple meal: Prepare and chill a batch of this rich, chilled tomato soup. Procure a bread – we had an asiago cheese baguette from the local grocery. And serve it with your favorite red wine – I went for a glass of the Coppola Claret, a robust red that goes just right with the tangy soup. Read the full story

Davidson-based Know Your Farms LLC is offering a series of “Food, Land & People” camps this summer that aim to give kids 8-12 a better understanding of local food and where food comes from. Did someone say food camp? We’re there!

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Davidson Chocolate Co. is giving back to the community this summer with a series of monthly sale days on behalf of local nonprofit organizations, beginning next Wednesday, June 16, with Davidson Housing Coalition. Also today, we introduce you to Heather and John Lin, who recently bought Bonsai Grill in Davidson. And we have news of a new lunch menu at Prosciutto’s Pizzeria, Pub & Restaurant in Cornelius, and a new pizza place on South Main Street, Cornelius.

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The 2010 Taste of Charlotte festival comes to downtown Charlotte this weekend, with more than 30 restaurants serving everything from tiramisu and BBQ sliders to “dragon puffs” and reuben bites. Read the full story

Updated Friday, June 4, 3:45 p.m.
The owner of The Creole House on Main, at 20517 N. Main St. in Cornelius, says he is working with town officials and the county health and building code enforcement departments to address issues that closed the restaurant in late May.  Read the full story

Construction has begun on the planned Rusher Market gas station and convenience store at the Davidson Gateway roundabout, off Exit 30, and its owners are promising tasty fare not usually found in a shop of this kind. Meanwhile, we also have news about Creole House on Main, and a couple of new businesses in Cornelius, and word of an autism fund-raiser at Healthy Home Markets in Davidson and Charlotte.
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By SHELLEY RIGGER
DavidsonNews.net

One of my fondest childhood memories is from summer 1979, when the 17-year locusts made their appearance in northern Maryland. The locusts (technically cicadas) were such easy pickings that for one glorious season, the big songbirds – cowbirds, catbirds, robins and mockingbirds – left our pie cherry tree alone, and I was able to harvest bucket after bucket of heavy crimson fruit.

Not that you’d want to eat pie cherries right off the tree. The pie cherry is very tart – sour, really. It’s beautiful to look at – bright red skin, golden flesh – and has a distinctive flavor, nothing like the “eating cherries” with their purple-black skin and burgundy pulp. But in a pie, flavored with plenty of sugar and a few drops of almond extract, tart cherries are sublime. Read the full story

Here’s a kitchen dilemma: The oven is broken at our house and that means baked dishes are off limits until it’s repaired or replaced. Or are they? As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

The other day, we had fresh strawberries from Davidson Farmers Market, and the lure of shortcake was irresistible. Likewise, on Friday afternoons we often bake our own home-made pizza. We needed a solution, and there it was right out back: The Grill. Read the full story

Davidson Chocolate Co. is getting ready for summer, with some new specials and outdoor seating. Meanwhile, summer brings cherry picking season, and Davidson Parks & Rec is offering a day trip in early June to Levering Orchards, and Mt. Airy. A good time to stock up. Details on those and other items below. Read the full story

Finding the perfect pint of strawberries has become less and less difficult recently which means the height of berry season is almost upon us.  I have a weakness for fresh berries and when I decide to splurge on them, I want to make sure that I use them in a way that lets them reach their fullest potential.  Fortunately, this tart does just that.

Tarts begin with the all-important crust.  Illustrating the importance of pastry dough to any good cook’s repertoire, I use the same recipe for sweet and savory dishes.  After all, flaky, buttery crusts tend to work well for both chicken pot pies and apple pies, not to mention everything in between.

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Chef Kris Reid will offer a new series of cooking classes at the Davidson Farmer’s Market beginning this Saturday, May 15. Chef Reid will conduct two short sessions each of eight Saturdays this summer and fall, incorporating foods from local farmers. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

When we lived in Asia a few years back, some of our favorite meals were hot pot, in its many variations. Hot pot is a boiling pot of broth and veggies on a burner in the middle of the table, where diners also can cook thinly-sliced meats, shrimp or other seafood. On a cool night, it’s just the right remedy for a chill. At other times, it can be a fun and delicious change of pace.

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Davidson Farmers Market is back to its weekly regular season markets, and it’s looking for volunteers. Meanwhile, Restaurant X in South Main Square will be open for Davidson Graduation Day brunch this Sunday, May 16. Creole House in Cornelius has live blues and a new oyster bar this weekend. And Sabi Asian Bistro is offering a Saturday lunch special for folks who shop in Davidson. Details about those and other local food news below.
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The owners of the planned Flatiron Kitchen & Tap Room in downtown Davidson say they hope to be open by mid-summer. Meanwhile, Mooresville’s Trackside Restaurant has moved across the tracks. And a couple of local eateries have sent word about Mother’s Day specials this weekend. Those items plus an update on the Lake Norman Wine & Food Festival below.
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