A tasty new season of rich pickings !.
As a long standing gardening enthusiast, September is a month where we reap the glories of our labours with onions, cabbage, late raspberries, figs, pears, potatoes, tomatoes , apples and many more, but its runner beans I wish to focus on today...
Native to the cooler, high-altitude regions of Central America where it is a perennial plant, runner beans have been known as a food crop for well over 2,000 years. They were brought to the British Isles in the seventeenth century by John Tradescant who was gardener to King Charles I and were originally grown as a decorative plant before being used as a food in Britain.
Some old varieties are still being cultivated with lovely flamboyant names such as the painted lady which dates back to 1855 and the Scarlet Emperor introduced in 1906.
As a child I was never overly fond of them, mainly owing to the fact they were boiled to an inch of their lives!, alas today I really enjoy their flavour and texture.
My grandma used to cook and mix them with a white sauce, (a basic roux consisting of butter, flour and milk) , something my mother used to do and now I do my own version ( admittedly slightly more elaborate with cream and smoked paprika being added!).
The beans in white sauce work really well served with the Sunday roast such as chicken, beef or pork, however it works equally well with a descent thick Pork or Beef sausage!..
Moving away from the traditional, I also enjoy them cold, cooked in a little salted water to “al dente” ( firm to the tooth or bite) stage and where they squeak against your teeth when bitten.
I then drizzle them with a parsley vinaigrette dressing topped with a scattering of capers and chopped hardboiled egg, this really turns the basic green bean into not only the Italian flag but a real tasty salad to go with items such as a pan fried steak, lamb kebab or BBQ duck breast.
For the health conscious you will be pleased to know that they are rich in Fibre, Vit C and B, so a good to add to your diet.
When faced with an abundance, I like to take the excesses and preserve them by making a chutney, something that not only improves over time but will also add a delicious flavour and accompaniment to cold meats and cheeses around the festive period, alongside a nice pork pie, or a Friday night curry!.
Whilst I am starting to sound like I have been taken on by the “Runner bean marketing board” ( not sure if one really exists!?) I do urge you to try this delicious chutney...........
Here`s to an abundance of whatever you do or have this September!.
Alan x
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Indian runner bean chutney
2lbs ( 1kg) Runner Beans ( sliced)
4 Onions ( peeled and chopped fine)
1.5 pts Malt Vinegar
1 lb 8oz Demerara sugar
1.5 tblsp turmeric
1.5 tbls English mustard powder
1.5 tbls cornflour
1 tblsp curry powder
1 small fresh chilli (chopped)
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Method
1/Place the vinegar, chilli , curry powder , Turmeric , salt and sugar into a heavy based pan and bring to the boil, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
2/Once boiled add the onions and beans and cook gently with a lid until both are soft.
3/ Remove lid and bring to the boil then add the cornflour ( lightly diluted in a little water) and the mustard powder and stir well.
4/ keep the ingredients simmering whilst stirring constantly until the mix has thickened and coated the vegetables.
5/ When ready place into sterilised jars , seal and allow to cool before labelling , dating and storing in a cool dark cupboard.