Harvest Monday - 25 October 2021

When I got up early Sunday morning the thermometer read 34 (1.1 C), mighty close to the danger zone! However, since there was a breeze, I hoped that any ground frost hadn't settled.

I had known it was going to get colder, so I earlier harvested and cut the plants for some peppers and all the eggplants, that would obviously not give us any more fruit. It always pains me to remove plants that are otherwise healthy and lush.

Here are the last poblano and shishito peppers. I really like the dark green, almost black, color of poblanos when they are mature.

Poblano and shishito peppers

We prepared the poblanos in the way we always do, stuffed with sausage and cheese, wrapped in bacon, and smoked. It was especially delicious this time.

Here are the last Anaheim peppers. These too were smoked, then dried and ground for chile powder. Cue another sneezing fit!

Anaheim peppers

Here's one of the almost-daily raspberry harvests we got this week.

Fall raspberries

I was rolling up the drip irrigation on the fenceline where we grow some perennials, and was very surprised to find these saffron flowers. I thought the corms I planted in 2019 had all been destroyed by chipmunks, but this group was hiding out under an anise hyssop. According to Wikipedia, saffron can fetch up to $5000 per pound. I figure I got a buck's worth! Even this tiny amount of red stigma are perfuming the kitchen as they are air-drying.

Saffron flowers

It was time to pick our green apple tree. I think it's a Granny Smith, as it is definitely late-season. There was an abundance this year. There are still more apples on the tree, but I got fatigued just picking this amount. We will make another batch of sparkling hard cider.

Granny Smith(?) apples

Here's Mondays general harvest. Again the volunteer tomato's fruit are segregated on the left. On the right are the last of the pole beans (Fortex).

Monday harvest

Here's Friday's.

Friday harvest

In the center are the last fully ripe Escamillo and Pimiento Elite sweet peppers. However, there are a lot of green ones left, which I will wait until the last minute to pick. Also note the volunteers on the left. I'm thinking seriously of saving seeds from this productive mystery tomato.

The Kitchen Goddess and her mother are gradually emptying their community garden plot. Here's what Mom went home with:

Sunday community garden harvest

Now about the frost. We always grow coleus in a large pot on the back patio. When I see these sensitive plants have withered I know we've had the first true frost. Here's what the Coleus-O-Meter read later Sunday morning.

Coleus plants

Definitely wilted but not withered. So probably not a true frost. The garden itself looked okay.

I had hoped for a refreshingly short post this week, but that didn't happen. Soon, though! Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to Dave at HappyAcres.blog for continuing to host Harvest Monday