Recipes

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/05/borlotti-runner-french-bean-recipes

Adapted Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipes below, tried and tested and delicious:

RUNNER BEANS WITH TOMATOESServes 4

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, diced
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
500g runner beans, cut up
350g cherry tomatoes, whole
500ml vegetable/chicken stock
2 Tbsp dried oregano
Parsley to garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Method

Warm the oil in a large fry pan over a medium heat, add the onions and bay leaf and fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for a further minute, add beans and tomatoes, season to taste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, add the oregano and simmer, uncovered until tender and the liquid has thickened into a sauce [20 to 25 mins].

FRENCH BEANS WITH FETA, WALNUTS AND MINT

Serves 2 to 4

280g French beans, cut up
3 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Small handful mint leaves, chopped
Handful of fresh dill, chopped or half tsp dried dill
150g feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
50g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Method

Cook beans until tender, drain and refresh in cold water. Dress the beans with the olive oil, lemon juice, mint, some of the dill and season to taste. Serve topped with crumbled feta cheese, walnuts and the remainder of the dill.

3lb Seville oranges

2 lemons

6 pints water

6lb sugar

Wash and dry the fruit.  Cut fruits in half and squeeze out the juice.  Tie the pips in a piece of muslin.

Cut the peel into thin slices – very therapeutic!

Put the peel, juice, pips and water in a large pan and cook gently for about 2 hours until the peel is soft and the liquid has reduced by about half.

Warm the sterilised jars on a low light in the oven.

Remove the bag of pips and squeeze the juice out onto the pan.

Bring the pan to the boil, take off the heat, and stir in the sugar until it has dissolved.

Boil rapidly until setting point is reached – it took me about 10 minutes.

Pour the marmalade into the jars using a small jug – fill to the top.

Either cover immediately with waxed circles, or screw on sterilised lids and turn the jars upside down on a cooling tray.  This will create a seal.

Mint and Ricotta Braised Beans – Serves 4 people

Ingredients
300g broad beans
50ml white wine vinegar
10g mint
75ml olive oil
75ml white wine
1 shallot (diced)
2 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
300ml chicken stock/vegetable stock
150g ricotta
4 slices of sourdough bread

Method
Dice the shallot and finely slice one of the cloves of garlic. Place in a pan with half of the olive oil (save other half for the bread). Add the bay leaf and cook until it’s soft.
Next add the broad beans and half of the mint leaves. Cook gently until the broad beans start to blister their skin.
Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates.
Next add the chicken or vegetable stock and place in the oven to braise at 150C for the 20 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Leave to cool slightly.
Next take the bread and place under the grill until golden brown. Remove from the oven and rub with a clove of garlic and drizzle the remaining olive oil over it.

To Serve
Place the toast on a plate, put a generous portion of the braised broad beans on top, then add ripped mint leaves and crumble the ricotta over the beans.