This is Somerset --
I am feeling particularly proud of myself at the moment – simply because my runner beans pyramid is, despite some of the awful weather we had last summer, finally producing vast quantities of beans – still the most popular of the bean family in the whole country.
Back in the 17th century when the runner was introduced from Mexico, it was the small the bright red flowers that were valued and the bean as a food was completely ignored.
My neighbour said to me only last week how good my beans were looking – and I found myself adopting an almost Percy Thrower accent – ah well, the answer lies in the soil.
Be that as it may, and I think it is true to a degree but I have to say that it appears to be quite a good idea to not only water but feed your plants – which I did – and I think that is why I am doing so well (you will recall my gobstopper gooseberries and vast crop of redcurrants).
I found myself a bit short of salad ingredients the other day and picked a handful of the really young beans about 10cm long, they only needed topping and tailing and a quick few minutes cooking, draining and cooling under cold running water and they were delicious as a salad ingredient.
It is important that Britain's favourite bean is not just relegated to being a vegetable accompaniment to a main dish – it has a much greater value than that and is an excellent stretcher of expensive protein ingredients.
I remember years ago a country house gardener telling me that the secret of getting a good crop of beans is constant picking – at least every other day – so I think I am going to be pretty busy.
Runner bean and salami salad
Ingredients for four
175g thinly sliced salami; 225g small young runner beans; 450ml chicken stock; four ripe vine tomatoes; two hard-boiled free range eggs; 12 pitted black olives; 3tblspns virgin olive oil; 1tblspn white wine vinegar; 1tspn Dijon mustard; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1tbspn roughly chopped fresh coriander
Method
Top and tail the beans and cut into small diagonal slices.
Put the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil, add the beans and cook for three minutes only, drain and refresh under cold running water.
Put the tomatoes into a bowl, cover with boiling water and let stand for one minute before draining. Nick the skin of each tomato with a sharp knife and slide off the skins, and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Halve the olives.
Cut the salami slices into four. Peel and cut the hardboiled eggs into quarters. Put the beans, salami, tomatoes and olives into a bowl. Put the oil, vinegar and mustard into a blender add a good seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper and process to mix. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture tossing lightly and transfer to a shallow serving dish, arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters on top of the salad and scatter the chopped coriander over the top.
West Country Pork and Beans
Ingredients for six
700g boned shoulder of pork; 350g runner beans; one large onion; two cloves garlic; 2tblspns olive oil; 1tspn dried thyme; two bay leaves; 2tspn ground paprika; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1tblspn flour; dry white wine or cider; one green pepper; one red pepper
Method
Cut the pork into 2cm chunks. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and add the cubes of pork and brown well all over, add the onion, garlic, thyme and crumble in a bay leaves, mixing well and seasoning with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the spices, lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally for four to five minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and continue cooking for a further couple of minutes mixing the flour in well. Stir in sufficient wine or cider to cover the ingredients and continue to stir until the sauces comes to the boil. Put the lid on the casserole dish, turn the heat down as low as it will go and allow to simmer for an hour.
In the meantime top and tail the beans and cut into thin diagonal slices. Remove the core and seeds from the red and green peppers and cut the flesh into thin strips.
Take the lid off the casserole and carefully lift off any excess fat that has risen to the surface – I find a ladle combined with a few thicknesses of kitchen paper quite good for this – then add the beans and peppers to the casserole, put on the lid, and return to the hob for a further half an hour on a low heat. Serve with jacket potatoes. Reported by This is 19 hours ago.
I am feeling particularly proud of myself at the moment – simply because my runner beans pyramid is, despite some of the awful weather we had last summer, finally producing vast quantities of beans – still the most popular of the bean family in the whole country.
Back in the 17th century when the runner was introduced from Mexico, it was the small the bright red flowers that were valued and the bean as a food was completely ignored.
My neighbour said to me only last week how good my beans were looking – and I found myself adopting an almost Percy Thrower accent – ah well, the answer lies in the soil.
Be that as it may, and I think it is true to a degree but I have to say that it appears to be quite a good idea to not only water but feed your plants – which I did – and I think that is why I am doing so well (you will recall my gobstopper gooseberries and vast crop of redcurrants).
I found myself a bit short of salad ingredients the other day and picked a handful of the really young beans about 10cm long, they only needed topping and tailing and a quick few minutes cooking, draining and cooling under cold running water and they were delicious as a salad ingredient.
It is important that Britain's favourite bean is not just relegated to being a vegetable accompaniment to a main dish – it has a much greater value than that and is an excellent stretcher of expensive protein ingredients.
I remember years ago a country house gardener telling me that the secret of getting a good crop of beans is constant picking – at least every other day – so I think I am going to be pretty busy.
Runner bean and salami salad
Ingredients for four
175g thinly sliced salami; 225g small young runner beans; 450ml chicken stock; four ripe vine tomatoes; two hard-boiled free range eggs; 12 pitted black olives; 3tblspns virgin olive oil; 1tblspn white wine vinegar; 1tspn Dijon mustard; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1tbspn roughly chopped fresh coriander
Method
Top and tail the beans and cut into small diagonal slices.
Put the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil, add the beans and cook for three minutes only, drain and refresh under cold running water.
Put the tomatoes into a bowl, cover with boiling water and let stand for one minute before draining. Nick the skin of each tomato with a sharp knife and slide off the skins, and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Halve the olives.
Cut the salami slices into four. Peel and cut the hardboiled eggs into quarters. Put the beans, salami, tomatoes and olives into a bowl. Put the oil, vinegar and mustard into a blender add a good seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper and process to mix. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture tossing lightly and transfer to a shallow serving dish, arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters on top of the salad and scatter the chopped coriander over the top.
West Country Pork and Beans
Ingredients for six
700g boned shoulder of pork; 350g runner beans; one large onion; two cloves garlic; 2tblspns olive oil; 1tspn dried thyme; two bay leaves; 2tspn ground paprika; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1tblspn flour; dry white wine or cider; one green pepper; one red pepper
Method
Cut the pork into 2cm chunks. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and add the cubes of pork and brown well all over, add the onion, garlic, thyme and crumble in a bay leaves, mixing well and seasoning with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the spices, lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally for four to five minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and continue cooking for a further couple of minutes mixing the flour in well. Stir in sufficient wine or cider to cover the ingredients and continue to stir until the sauces comes to the boil. Put the lid on the casserole dish, turn the heat down as low as it will go and allow to simmer for an hour.
In the meantime top and tail the beans and cut into thin diagonal slices. Remove the core and seeds from the red and green peppers and cut the flesh into thin strips.
Take the lid off the casserole and carefully lift off any excess fat that has risen to the surface – I find a ladle combined with a few thicknesses of kitchen paper quite good for this – then add the beans and peppers to the casserole, put on the lid, and return to the hob for a further half an hour on a low heat. Serve with jacket potatoes. Reported by This is 19 hours ago.