Tuesday 15 July 2014

beanfeast

It's the time of year for peas and broad beans.  Alys Fowler tweeted the other day that she likes fava beans best out of all the broads - they are smaller than a modern bean, closer to their 'field bean' ancestors. They're what half the world grows and dries - knowing that our western obsession with eating everything green means there is nothing in the larder for winter.  But of course you can eat them green - the ensuing twitterings made claims for their superior flavour and creaminess…

..and who am I to argue with the lovely Alys?
So Fowler may favour a fava,
but maybe I can out-nerd her on the history beans front?


would like to say that I individually taste tested them 
- but I didn't, just mixed them up and ate them,
and they were good.




11 comments:

  1. So many beans - who knew? Well, you did, obviously! Really great photos. xxx

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  2. As pastcaring said, so many beans and indeed, who knew!!! I bet that you out beaned Alys with this post though! Tweet it to her! xx

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  3. Gosh your beans are beautiful! I am not kidding...they are like art! Frame that up friend! And happy beans to ya! Nicole xoxo

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  4. I've never had a broad bean. Green beans yes. I think your collage makes them look better than they taste!

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    1. Maybe with a side order of nettles? Just kidding! ;-)

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  5. My comment was devoured...like a bowl of beans. No matter, short version recap is that I have never seen such an intriguing assortment of beans. I never thought I could find beans beautiful, but there you have it. I do wish I could grow them here, but the climate seems set against it.

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  6. Splendid. I love broad beans in all their variety. I came across a little packet of Scarlet Cambridge seeds recently. The seeds are a sort of episcopal red. I planted them last month (here in Australia), so yet to see if they have a red flower or the usual white and black.

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    1. The seed coat on the Crimson Flowered beans is deep red (or occasionally green - but they still have red flowers). There's probably some big science there but I can't be bothered to find out what it is!

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  7. I had no idea broad beans were so photogenic.
    I would love to love them, but truth be told I'm not really a fan. I only eat them when they are tiny, tiny super green things, and anything that even hints towards white is turfed, or very occasionally used in a broad bean hummus.
    Love the varieties and years! It's aquadulce and crimson flowered for me, which usually self sow from the beans I missed. I can't remember the last time I actually planted some, but a few come up every year. Usually that's enough for me.

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  8. Hello Bernice,

    Well, trying to find any green vegetable here in Budapest other than spinach and cabbage (does cabbage count?) is something of a quest for the Holy Grail so we have to say that your beans look remarkably good from here. We should certainly have eaten them up in an instant.

    And, how beautiful your bean images look. Art works in themselves. They could be pictures from Vogue.....

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    1. Thank you Jane and Lance, that's very kind. I know the Hungarians like to preserve a lot of their veg - I was lucky enough to be invited to see someone's home when I visited and the cellar was brimming with home preserves. It was very impressive and continues to inspire me in my new pickling adventures!

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