The cauliflower continues to be excellent despite the temperatures dropping into the high 20s. We harvested the first of the romanesco (pointy heads) and the first of the Purple of Sicily.

The weather has been kind to the garden this autumn, which allows for fantastic growth. We have sorrel leaves until we have a solid freeze. In the meantime, the red-veined sorrel is a striking addition to the garden.

The cauliflower harvest continues. The purple variety is finished, and we are starting on the white variety. We still have a few heads of the orange, plus more types to come.

November sunrise in the Chef’s Garden. Yes, it is November. October was a month of changes. The summer crops ended their run, and the fall crops showed their potential.

We have an excellent kohlrabi crop this season; we are harvesting them as they reach a good size. We are trying not to have basketball-sized kohlrabi.

October is the saffron month! Every couple of days, we remove the little red “threads” from the center of each bloom, leaving the rest of the flower intact. Saffron is so expensive to purchase because it is time-consuming to harvest.

The different vegetables pictured this week are a reflection of the changing season. We are harvesting these gourds and winter squashes as their outer shells harden and the plants die back.

The flowers enjoy cooler temperatures, a more gentle sun, and rain. The dahlias are particularly glad for fall weather. It is an excellent time to use nasturtium flowers and leaves as they grow very well without heat stress.

I smiled when I found an entire tank of carrots in a stock tank under a shade cloth! If it is covered, it becomes invisible to me. We can start harvesting them at any time.

The fennel is in full bloom right now. The bees are super happy about that, and they will share flowers with us when the JORY kitchen decides they want some.