Maison Nord Natural Farm

Last Week at Green Spring Station Farmers' Market

2011-09-01T20:10:00.000-04:00

We have made the difficult decision to close up our farm early (last market is September 3rd). As many of you know, it has been a very trying year. The relentless heat took a toll on our crops...and us. Stinkbugs took a bite (no, many, many bites!) out of our tomatoes, and they're working on everything that is left. Despite several preventive measures, deer have chomped off every okra and sunflower that survived the heat wave.

Over the winter, we'll assess our business model to determine if, and in what form, we can continue.

No autographs, please!

2011-07-30T00:37:00.003-04:00

Bella doesn't let her chicks, Yankee Doodle and Liberty Bella, out of her sight. Paparazzi are regarded with extreme suspicion.

Organic Venison, Anyone?

2011-07-21T22:39:00.000-04:00

Farm Haiku

by Mhom

summer evening

unwelcome visitors feast

alas, poor okra

New Chicks

2011-07-14T21:06:00.003-04:00

Our hen Bella is a mother once again. Yankee Doodle and Liberty Bella were born on the 3rd of July. They have their own private yard to roam in as Mama Bella teaches them what's good to eat. At night, the chicks snuggle up under her wings.

Heat Wave!

2011-06-02T20:22:00.006-04:00

The weather has reminded us once again how quickly things can change. A few days in the 90s (in May!) have thrown some of our crops for a loop. Some of the lettuces bolted (turned bitter), the sugar snap pea pods are growing flat and elongated (more like snow peas), and plant beds are drying out. It was only a short while ago that the entire lower field was too wet to plant in!

The good news is that the larkspur are blooming, an event we look forward to every year. They produce beautiful spikes of purple flowers, and we also have pink ones that start just a little later than the purples. We've gotten the first flowers on our tomato plants, and the blackberries and raspberries are starting to form.

Farm-Fresh Eggs: What's the difference?

2011-05-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

Compared to a typical grocery store egg, the yolks of our eggs have a darker, orangey-yellow color. In a fresh egg (like ours), the egg white is thick and doesn't spread out very much. The yolk "stands up" instead of flattening out. The chalazae (white, ropey strands) are more prominent in a fresh egg. (The chalazae are a normal part of every chicken egg, designed to "anchor" the yolk. They do not indicate if an egg is fertilized.)

We think there's only one downside to a fresh egg: it can be more difficult to peel a fresh, hard-cooked egg than an older one. But a fresh egg makes the best fried-egg sandwich.

Rhododendrons

2011-05-13T23:22:00.002-04:00

Our rhododendrons are providing splashes of color all over the farm.

STYLE at the Station

2011-04-12T00:31:00.000-04:00

Green Spring Station is partnering with STYLE Magazine for a special event on Thursday, April 14th. STYLE at the Station will feature designer trunk shows, giveaways, and live music throughout the day. More details available online at http://greenspringstation.com/events/.

The event also includes a farmers' market that will run from 4 to 7 p.m. that day. We'll be there, along with several other farm market vendors.

Signs of Spring!

2011-03-31T20:27:00.003-04:00

Black Australorp Hens

2011-03-31T20:08:00.005-04:00

Our black-n-white, penguin-looking chicks have all grown up. The full-grown hens are black, with green highlights visible in the sun. We've been getting lots of eggs from them (mainly small- and peewee-sized until they get a little older). Our latest farm record is 83 eggs in one day! (That's not bad from only 100 hens.)

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2011-03-03T18:00:00.002-05:00

Our rooster Lucky takes a stroll through the snow.

Summer tomatoes in February

2011-02-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

We froze bags full of tomatoes at the end of the season last year, and we break one out every now and again as a tasty treat for the chickens during a long, cold winter. These (as-yet unnamed) chickens were hatched on the farm, and they're about 5 months old now.

Covering All the Bases

2011-02-28T23:04:00.000-05:00

In an effort to get a head start for spring, we protected some greens--lettuces, arugula, etc.--through the winter by covering a few of our raised beds with plastic. The cover was ripped off the first bed early on in the winter. We fixed it a couple of times, but Mother Nature was very determined. After the plants had been exposed to freezing temperatures a few times, we gave up (you can see the hoops in the background). The second bed fared pretty well until the high winds last Friday pulled off the plastic. That's when we made the unpleasant discovery that it had simply been too cold for most of the lettuces and not many survived. To top it off, chickweed and other weeds were thriving under there! It wasn't a total loss, though. The weeds went to the chickens. Our hens can tell you that chickweed is aptly named. They love it!

Coming Soon: Sugar Snap Peas

2010-10-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

Sugar snap peas are a cool weather crop that we grow in the spring and fall. If we don't get a hard frost, we should have some sugar snap peas in the coming weeks. Eat them raw, pod and all!

Mail Order Chicks

2010-10-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

In addition to the various chicks that hatched on our farm this summer, 50 day-old chicks arrived via the U.S. Postal Service! (They're still nervous around us, so they tend to huddle up in the corner while I'm trying to take pictures.) The chicks are black and white, but the adult birds will be all black with a beautiful iridescent green sheen. In addition, the hatchery sent a bonus, unknown breed. We will have to wait and see what it grows up to be!

They should begin laying eggs in about 5 months.

Homegrown Chicks

2010-10-07T22:19:00.000-04:00

Here are two of the chicks hatched out by mother Henrietta. She took the chicks on their first outside tour today, now that we've finally gotten a break from the rain.

New chicks!

2010-09-20T21:36:00.002-04:00

We had eight baby chickens hatch last week! They are zooming all around in their enclosure, and Henrietta (the mother hen), is teaching them all about the ways of the chicken. We'll get some pictures posted soon!

We're Expecting (Again)!

2010-09-02T22:08:00.000-04:00

Last week, one of our New Hampshire Red hens "went broody," meaning she stayed on the nest to hatch some eggs. Hatching eggs is quite an undertaking, so hens don't do it very often. (We've only had three hens go broody in two years!) She sits on the nest for three weeks, getting up only once a day to eat and drink. She flattens her body out to make sure the eggs are covered, and she turns them frequently--not that easy when you don't have hands!

We moved her to a separate location so she wouldn't be disturbed, and sneaked a few more eggs from other hens under her. Adding eggs is a delicate process. We place the eggs in the nest box near her, and she pecks us fiercely as we're doing it to "protect" the eggs she already has under her. (Gloves are recommended for this operation.) After we back away, she uses her beak to push the eggs under her where it's nice and warm. Timing is also an issue. To move the hen to her separate enclosure, we have to relocate her at night so she'll be too sleepy to get upset. The next day we add some additional eggs, once we're sure she's going to stay on the nest. We want all the eggs to hatch around the same time, so we don't add any more after the first day.

We hope to have some more little chickies running around here in a couple of weeks.

Chicks @ 2 Months

2010-08-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some new pictures of the chicks--they're almost two months old now.

We think this chick is a hen, due to the small comb. She's a mix of Barred Rock and ...something. We're calling her "Barred What" or "Not Rock" for now. I love the delicate feather pattern.

Our black chick has developed a lot of red in her head, neck, and breast feathers. Again, small comb size, so it's probably a hen.

We keep some cinder blocks on bare earth, and flip them over to reveal tasty (in a chicken's opinion) worms underneath! Probably a rooster: well-developed comb and wattles, and a hint of iridescent green on the tail.

Boy or girl? I'm still not sure!

Fresh Lima Beans

2010-08-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

If you think you don't like lima beans, do not count them out until you've had fresh limas. They are tender and delicious--we consider them a totally different food than frozen and canned lima beans from the grocery store.

Cooking is simple: put the shelled beans in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Boil them until they are tender. Season with butter, salt, and pepper.

Here's the hard part: the shelling process before cooking. We sell our lima beans still in the pod, which must be removed to get the beans inside. The fastest method we've found is to cut part of the pod edge off (opposite where the beans are actually attached to the pod). You can determine where to cut by holding the pod up to the light--you don't want to cut the beans inside. Once you've removed some of the edge, use that opening to pry open the pod and retrieve the limas inside. (It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.) Limas freeze well, too!

Green Zebra Tomatoes

2010-08-09T23:47:00.000-04:00

We just discovered this tasty little treat! Every season we select new varieties of tomatoes to test, while keeping our old favorites. One of this year's newbies is the green zebra tomato. When ripe, it has yellow skin with green streaks and spots running down the sides. The inside remains pretty green, reminiscent of a kiwi fruit. The flavor has a little zing to it, faintly lemony, that makes it different (and better, I say) than your average tomato. The tomatoes aren't that large, so you might have to use two to three slices to ensure full coverage on your sandwich.

Bruschetta

2010-07-29T22:32:00.000-04:00

No measurements, just whip this up with fresh ingredients!

Topping:
Tomatoes (Our cherry toms are nice and sweet)
Basil
Elephant garlic (It's mild)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Chop up the tomatoes
Coarsely chop basil (leaves only)
Finely chop garlic (it remains raw, so start small and add more as needed)
Mix up the toms, basil leaves, and garlic in a bowl, and drizzle in the olive oil
Throw in some freshly ground salt and pepper

Bread:
Slice some good bread that will hold up to grilling. (I think our Maison Nord rosemary bread is perfect!) Brush each side with olive oil and toast it on the grill. It should be a little crunchy, but not blackened.

Assembly:
Spoon topping onto the bread.

Eating:
Hunch over your plate--half the topping will fall off as soon as you take a bite.

Variations:
Add a little balsamic vinegar to the topping, especially if the tomatoes aren't as sweet
Mix in some cheese, like fresh mozzarella
Kick up the flavor by spreading pesto on the grilled bread before adding the topping
Use yellow tomatoes or a red & yellow mix

Chicks @ 1 month

2010-07-29T21:33:00.000-04:00

The chicks are now 1 month old. We're getting a better sense of what their adult feathering will be, and we're checking for comb development, size, and fancy feathering/large tails. Bigger and fancier usually means they're roosters. We have nine chicks altogether, but some are pretty camera shy.

Not camera shy: I think this chick was posing for the picture!

This one is at least part Barred Rock, but the pattern doesn't look 100% Barred Rock to me.

I'm hoping the smallish comb means this is a hen instead of a rooster.

Here's a great example of the awkward teenage phase. This chicken's wing feathers are developing, but the chick still has lots of the lighter down, giving a scruffy appearance as the new feathers poke through. This one is at least part New Hampshire Red.

A NH Red rooster breeding with a Barred Rock hen should produce males with the Barred Rock pattern, and black females with some red neck feathers. I think that's what we've got going on here, but I can't be sure. And I'm not a chicken breed expert (yet).

This white one is part Delaware, and has black feathers at the wing tips, which is a Delaware characteristic.

Delaware Heritage Breed Chicken

2010-07-26T23:58:00.000-04:00

Many of our chickens are heritage breeds--those that have been largely replaced by commercial breeds in modern farming. The flock includes Delaware, New Hampshire Red, Wyandotte, Sussex, and Barred Rock hens. (We've got three roosters, also.)

This girl here is a Delaware chicken, a breed considered threatened (fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the U.S., with seven or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 5,000) by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. We have some other Delaware hens, and one of our new chicks is feathering out white with a few black accents. The new chick is some kind of Delaware mix, since we don't have any pure Delaware roosters.We'll have wait a little longer to see if the new part-Delaware chick is a rooster or a hen.

There's more information about heritage breeds at the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy website: http://albc-usa.org/.

Keepin' Cool

2010-07-19T23:24:00.002-04:00

We're not the only ones suffering from all the heat. It's pretty tough on our chickens, especially when the temperature jumps suddenly with little acclimation time. To help them out, we have a fan on the floor of the barn on the hot days. Some chickens park themselves right in front of it, feathers ruffling in the breeze. We've been adding electrolytes to their water (like Gatorade for poultry), and set up the hose to create a fine spray out in the yard. The chickens take dust baths by digging a hole to get to some cool earth, then stretching out in it. We periodically spray down the yard with water to help keep the soil cooled down. We've also created some lean-to style shelters by stringing up shade cloth, as shown below.

The new chicks are doing well, despite the heat. (In fact, they probably like it.) We just created a separate area of the yard for them so they can explore the outdoors (with mother hen's supervision). Gotta get some new pictures!

Caterpillar Invasion!

2010-07-19T23:01:00.000-04:00

When I went to the herb garden to cut parsley, I found this cool caterpillar. Then I saw another. And another! Closer inspection revealed seven caterpillars in the parsley. There are three on this plant alone: the obvious one, one down at the base of the plant, and another on the left side. I'm not sure what the one on the left is, but the other two are the larvae of swallowtail butterflies. We like swallowtails, but we'd also like to keep our parsley. Fortunately, there's an easy solution for dealing with them: they will feed on Queen Anne's Lace, a wildflower. I found a container, picked off all the caterpillars, and moved them to some Queen Anne's Lace on our property.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe

2010-07-12T22:36:00.002-04:00

Preparation: 15 minutes; Baking: 30 minutes; Serves: 8

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 C crumbled feta cheese
1/4 C shredded Swiss cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Scoop out the insides of the zucchini, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Reserve zucchini flesh. Place shells in prepared baking dish. Set aside.

Chop reserved zucchini. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and zucchini. Sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, feta and Swiss cheeses, parsley, egg, egg whites, and pepper. Mix well. Add zucchini mixture; toss to combine. Spoon mixture evenly into zucchini shells. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip: Select zucchini about 7 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Large zucchini will hold the stuffing better and will not curl during baking.

Source: Healthy Meals in Minutes(TM) International Masters Publishers AB

New Arrivals!

2010-07-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

As we wrote about a few weeks ago, one of our hens "went broody" and decided to sit on some eggs. We helped by slipping in some extra eggs from other hens. After three weeks, chicks started hatching. At first we thought we had only three or four chicks, but mother hen was hiding some more chickies underneath her. (You can see how she spreads out her body to keep eggs and babies warm.) We ended up with nine chicks! We have several different breeds of hens and three different roosters, yielding an adorable hodgepodge of chicks: one all black, four black with some white markings, one yellow-white, two reddish, and one reddish with brown markings. We can't wait to see what their "adult" feathering will be. On the other hand, the babies are so cute that we don't want them to grow up yet.

Now the chicks are scampering all over the place, and the mother makes a special clucking noise to alert them when she's found food. She'll repeatedly pick up a berry or seed, and then drop it to tell the chicks it is something good to eat. If she feels threatened (like when we're cleaning out their coop), she calls the chicks. They run over and hide underneath her for safety. During nap time, the chicks sleep in the hay, sometimes cuddled up next to each other or against mama. One chick likes to climb up and sleep on the mother's back. (This only occurs when I don't have my camera.)

Giddy up!

2010-06-30T22:08:00.003-04:00

Check out the spurs on Big Red, our alpha rooster! He hasn't been causing harm to himself or others with them, so we'll let them be for now. I did find numerous suggestions on the Internet about how to trim a rooster's spurs. Unfortunately, they all start with: "Pick up your rooster..."

Big Red is NOT the cuddly type.

Kids Creativity Workshop (And Free Cookies!)

2010-06-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

Green Spring Station is sponsoring a special children's event during the farmer's market (see details below). In support of this event, we'll be offering free cookies and flowers to kids during this week's market.
__________________________________________________________

Kids Creativity Workshop
Saturday, June 26, 2-5pm
Inside the station near Stone Mill Bakery and Wee Chic
Enjoy an afternoon of creativity as Green Spring Station welcomes the talents of Zoll Studio of Fine Art, Little Hands Cookie Co. and Imagine Speech for art and cooking classes and language games for children of all ages. The first 25 kids for the cooking class will receive a complimentary chef's hat. All participating children will take home a completed art masterpiece and decorated cookies! And if that's not enough to help beat the heat head over to The Nut Farm and Creamery for tasty ice cream. From 2-5pm enjoy buy one get one half off any ice cream treat!

http://www.greenspringstation.com/

Coming Soon (to a market near you)

2010-06-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

This is one of the transitional periods on the farm. The cool weather crops (such as spinach) can't tolerate the heat or are simply finished their growing season (like sugar snap peas), but the warm weather crops haven't really started producing yet. We are currently growing a large selection of produce using sustainable methods. The small, green tomatoes tell us that fresh, red tomatoes are not too far away. The bean plants have flowers that will be forming green beans and wax beans before we know it. We pick a few ripe raspberries daily--not enough to sell, so we're forced to eat those ourselves.

In the coming weeks, we'll have:

Beans (green, wax, and lima)
Summer squash (yellow, patty pan, zucchini)
Tomatoes (many varieties, including several heirloom types)
Raspberries
Blackberries
Basil and cilantro
Okra
Peppers
And more!

Arugula and most types of lettuce are sensitive to the heat, so they divert their energy to making flowers and seeds in the hot weather. This is called "bolting," and it causes a bitter taste in the leaves. We are experimenting with a few techniques to extend the growing season. We have some new raised beds in a shady area, where the temperature is a few degrees cooler. We also continually plant seeds, in hopes that we'll have a chance to harvest the young plants before they bolt. Availability of lettuce and arugula will probably fluctuate throughout the season.

A Tree Falls in Joppa

2010-06-10T23:12:00.005-04:00

Did we seem a little disorganized at last Saturday's market? We had just started picking produce for the market when a storm--complete with torrential rain, hail, and high winds--hit us on Friday night. We could see out the window that a beautiful, huge oak from the front yard was knocked over. The electric went out. After the short storm, we headed out to survey the damage. The oak had taken out tree limbs from two other trees, some fencing, and a couple of blueberry bushes. Tree limbs were down everywhere. A pine tree had fallen over, its roots forcing a section of fence into the air.

Q: How did a log get into the garage?
A: Through the roof!

Fortunately, the crops seem OK. Some plants got a little beat up, but most have recovered.

We're expecting!

2010-06-10T22:39:00.003-04:00

One of our Barred Rock hens has gone broody. This means she is sitting on the nest, trying to hatch some eggs. We've helped her (we hope) by moving her to a separate area for some peace and quiet. Some hens are quite determined to use a certain nest box, even if there's already a chicken in it. Our broody hen would be pestered all the time by other hens trying to get in there, too! (This should not give the impression that there aren't enough nest boxes--hens do this even though there are numerous other boxes available. Chickens are not known as great thinkers.)

We try not to get our hopes up, since this is only the second hen to try hatching eggs. Many things can happen to thwart the process, such as unfertilized eggs, damaged eggs, a hen just giving up... We tucked in a few extra eggs from other hens in hopes that will increase the chance of getting chickies. It takes about three weeks for the eggs to hatch. Here's hoping for some new additions to the flock!

Cut Herbs by Special Order

2010-05-24T22:33:00.002-04:00

We're testing a cut herb special order system. We'll still have the popular stuff--thyme, oregano, catnip, and dill--on a regular basis. Other herbs aren't as abundant, so we'll bring them as requested by special order. Please send us an e-mail if you'd like to order any of these herbs:

Rosemary
Sage
French tarragon
Lavender
Chives

We'll also have basil, parsley, and cilantro later in the season--we'll update the list as they become available.

Herb bunches are $1 each, or three bunches for $2.50 (mix-n-match).

May is National Strawberry Month

2010-05-20T21:16:00.005-04:00

May is National Strawberry Month, and May 20th is Pick Strawberries Day. We did not forget to celebrate, and we unofficially declared a companion holiday: Eat Strawberries Night! We'll pick more strawberries for Saturday's market at Green Spring. The strawberries are just starting to come in, so availability will be limited.

Now that it's strawberry season, we expect to be making strawberry jam in the near future. Yum!

2010-05-13T21:09:00.002-04:00

Our old friends are returning for another year! It's great to walk around the farm and rediscover treasures that have been dormant over the winter. One of our favorites is clematis: it produces astonishing flowers in purples and pinks.

One of the black-eyed susans put out a single flower--way ahead of schedule!

Special Event: STYLE at the Station (April 29th)

2010-04-27T22:30:00.004-04:00

We'll be at Green Spring Station this Thursday evening (April 29th) for a special event, STYLE at the Station. The event, presented by STYLE Magazine and Green Spring Station, will feature a book signing for Dishing up Maryland, 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay, at 5:00.

A farmer's market will be held a the same time, with a theme of Going Local. We'll have fresh-baked breads, eggs from our free-range chickens, asparagus, lettuce mix, spring onions, cut and potted herbs, potted flowers...

Hope to see you there!

We'll also be at Green Spring Station this Saturday (May 1st) from 1:00 to 3:00.

Rocky the Rooster

2010-04-18T21:08:00.004-04:00

Rocky (so named because he is a Barred Rock) was an unexpected addition to our chicken family. We were supposed to get all hens, but someone slipped up at the hatchery. We're glad to have him anyway! Well, maybe the other two roosters aren't exactly thrilled, since Rocky is younger AND bigger.

All the chickens have been enjoying their newly expanded yard, which is full of grass and bugs and unexplored territory.

From baby to rooster: Starbuck

2010-04-15T23:02:00.011-04:00

Our homegrown chicks are all grown up! After a rough-looking "teenager" phase, Starbuck transformed into a beautiful rooster with an iridescent green tail.

Great Eggspectations

2010-04-03T19:10:00.004-04:00

We've declared a new egg size: the SuperJumbo. Our youngest hens just started laying eggs in March. While most of the eggs are size small or peewee, we occasionally get something WAY more ambitious--they are usually double-yolkers. A peewee egg averages 35 g and a jumbo is about 71 g. Our "SuperJumbo" weighed in at 82 g!

Mr. Wattles Goes to Greenspring

2009-07-20T00:18:00.005-04:00

Meet Mr. Wattles, our dear rooster. We treat him like a member of the family. Here he is at our booth at the Greenspring Station Farmer's Market and doing his chickeny dance.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

To buy farm-fresh produce!

Name that Flower! #1

2009-07-19T23:55:00.002-04:00

Free cut flowers to the first person to correctly identify this lovely flower.

photo by David; question by Rhona.

Free Sample Fridays

2009-07-16T12:13:00.002-04:00

This Friday's (7/17/09) free sample: Swiss Chard plus directions for easy ways to prepare this delicious and nutritious leafy green. We have three varieties: Ruby, Northern Lights, and Lucullus. Stop by between 4 and 6 for your serving size free sample.

Farm Helpers of the Month

2009-07-16T11:59:00.004-04:00

June's Farm Helper Award goes to... ta- da! ... Gracie and Sister Pat--the barn cats!

These lovely ladies keep us company when we weed or pick berries, help us with any farm chores involving straw, and dutifully protect the breezeway from the vantage point of their guardhouse towers... aka cushioned settees.

The Case of the Disappearing Produce

2009-07-16T11:52:00.004-04:00

Greetings to our Farmstand customers. We have had to change our stand from self-service to full service, which also required a change in our hours. We will now be open Monday thru Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm, and occasionally on Sundays.

We were picking some of everything every day to fully stock the farmstand, but until business picks up (during tomato season!), we will only have a minimum of produce at the stand and pick the rest to order. You can save time by ordering ahead... send us your order via e-mail: maison.nord@gmail.com by noon of the day you need it, and we'll have it picked fresh and ready for you.

Thanks for your business.

Rhona

The Chard Confessions

2009-06-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

Even though I'm only 39-ish, I was 60-ish before I tried my first Swiss Chard. Barbara Kingsolver wrote in praise of chard in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and I decided to give it a try. The first tasting batch was sauteed in olive oil with garlic and a touch of balsamic vinegar. It tasted similar to spinach but with a little more bite. Now, we eat it steamed, sauteed, in fritattas... just about anywhere you would use spinach.

If you want to eat local and in season, then chard is a great summer green; it grows well in the heat and doesn't go to seed as spinach does once the weather gets very warm. We are growing three varieties this year: Northern Lights Mix, Lucullus, and Ruby.

Here's an unusual and tasty recipe for Swiss chard; enjoy!

Rustic Chard Pie

An easy dish with a biscuit-like crust

2 tablespoons butter

8 large chard leaves, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

Salt, pepper, minced garlic to taste

1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, chives

6 eggs

1 cup whole milk yogurt or sour cream

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard and onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and optional garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until the leaves are tender, about 10 minutes; do not brown. Remove from the heat, add the herbs, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, hard cook 3 of the eggs, peel, and chop coarsely. Add to the cooked chard mixture and let cool while you make the batter.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and remaining eggs. Add the baking powder and flour; mix until smooth. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Spread half the batter over the bottom, then top with the chard filling; sprinkle the cheese over the filling; smear the rest of the batter over the chard and cheese, filling in any gaps.

Bake for 45 minutes; it will be golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature as a main dish, side dish, or cut in smaller squares to use as an appetizer.

Rhona

Attack of the Mexican Bean Beetles...

2009-06-13T02:36:00.007-04:00

...and how we stop them!

These culprits are on our green beans, wax beans, lima beans, and kidney beans:
After performing a little twosome activity, the female beetle deposits these little goodies on the underside of the leaves:

Since we use organic methods and avoid pesticides, here's how we get rid of these pests:

The eggs take 4-5 days to hatch, so every 4-5 days we look under all the leaves and smite the eggs with our bare hands!

Does this work? It does give the beans plants a chance to reach maturity. After a certain point, there are too many plants and leaves to check, so we hand pick the beetles, larvae, and eggs while we pick the beans.

Mamma Bella had some chicks...

2009-06-13T02:18:00.006-04:00

After 3 weeks of dutiful broodiness, Bella has hatched two chicks: Apollo and Starbuck. She's being an excellent mom, showing them how to find food and protecting them from overly intrusive paparazzi.

Farm Stand is Open for Business

2009-06-13T02:10:00.003-04:00

Our self-service farmstand, located near the corner of Old Joppa Road and Greenspring Avenue in Joppa, Maryland, re-opened for the season on June 7th. Entrance to the stand is on Greenspring Avenue.

Farmstand hours are: Sunday through Friday: 12 noon to 7 pm.
Closed on Saturdays for the Greenspring Farmer Market.
Also closed on medium to heavy rain days, because we
cannot pick in wet conditions... and don't want to!

Farmers' Market

2009-05-30T00:28:00.000-04:00

Maison Nord Natural Farm will have a booth at the Green Spring Station Farmers' Market every Saturday from June 6th to mid-November. The hours will be 2:00 to 5:30--hope to see you there!