Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
[caption id="attachment_137392" align="alignright" width="300"] Fresh strawberries in North Carolina, like this basket from Rudd Farm in Greensboro, are usually ripe for picking from late April to early June.[/caption] Pick Fresh
[caption id="attachment_137392" align="alignright" width="300"] Fresh strawberries in North Carolina, like this basket from Rudd Farm in Greensboro, are usually ripe for picking from late April to early June.[/caption] Pick Fresh
Fresh strawberries in North Carolina, like this basket from Rudd Farm in Greensboro, are usually ripe for picking from late April to early June. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Pick Fresh Strawberries
Grab a bucket or a basket: It’s strawberry season. In May, farmers across our state prepare for a flurry of visitors with sticky, red fingers and smiles to match.
Bernie’s Berries, Greensboro
James and Bernice Kenan planted a small strawberry patch when they started farming in 1982. Today, Bernie’s Berries grows seven acres of strawberries in addition to watermelons, zucchini, and many other crops.
Don’t miss: Grab the recipe for “Bernie’s Dip” — a mixture of cream cheese and marshmallow creme that’s perfect for berry dipping.
Nathaniel Darnell and his sister, Afton Roberts, have made their family farm a destination. Pick strawberries, shop for other fresh produce, and listen to live music.
Don’t miss: The strawberry and goat cheese empanadas sold at the on-site food truck.
Jim Warenda, president of the North Carolina Strawberry Association, grows true “North Carolina strawberries,” Warenda says. His 30 acres of Chandler strawberries are juicy and “full red all the way through.”
Don’t miss: Prepared goodies like strawberry honey.
To find more North Carolina strawberry farms, visit ncstrawberry.com.
Have brunch on the porch at Louise’s Kitchen in Black Mountain to celebrate Mother’s Day. photograph by Emily Chaplin and Chris Council
Celebrate Moms
This Mother’s Day, May 9, treat the special women in your life to brunch at some of our favorite restaurants across the state. Oh, and maybe have a mimosa or two.
Jester’s Café, Wilmington
This bistro, in the Castle Street Arts District, makes its dishes — like homemade tuna salad on thick-sliced wheat bread and black bean Benedict — with the freshest ingredients and a healthy dash of love.
The historic Stepp House was reimagined into a restaurant that serves breakfast all day. George W. Stepp, the home’s namesake, was a cabinetmaker who worked at the Biltmore Estate and served as mayor of Black Mountain from 1908 to 1911 and from 1915 to 1917.
To find more Mother’s Day brunch spots, click here.
Bake Our Strawberry Shortcake
Slice up your farm-fresh berries, dust them in sugar, and sandwich a spoonful between a homemade biscuit and a blanket of whipped cream. This sweet treat will capture your heart — and leave a stain on your plate.
May 15: View a variety of German, Italian, British, and other European cars and motorcycles, and enjoy good food and a cold beer on the SALT Block Lawn during this eighth annual event. Attendees can cast a vote to help decide which vehicle should win the People’s Choice Award.
May 1-2: Shop for beautiful ceramic jewelry, garden art, functional wares, and other items that display a variety of glaze techniques and firing methods, all from the comfort of your home.
From its northernmost point in Corolla to its southern terminus on Cedar Island, this scenic byway — bound between sound and sea — links the islands and communities of the Outer Banks.
Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.
After nearly a century — or just a couple of years — these seafood restaurants have become coastal icons, the places we know, love, and return to again and again.
One of the last old-school fish houses in Onslow County stands sentry on the White Oak River. Clyde Phillips Seafood Market has served up seafood and stories since 1954 — an icon of the coast, persevering in pink.
