Topic: Runner Beans

[chippy queen]

I have a huge amount of runners - too many to just steam and eat. So has anyone got any receipes that I can use them up on please.  Thanks in advance

[BarriedaleNick]

I haven't made it but keep promising to myself I will..
Bean Pickle

http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/80/recipe-for-green-bean-pickle/

[Melbourne12]

There aren't many runner bean recipes, are there?  The other week I spotted a Runner Bean Salad recipe in one of the Sunday papers, but disappointingly it called for some type of scallion only available in Italy, plus green almonds!

Here's our variation on the theme.  It works very well with the tender first crop runners that we're picking at the moment.

Runner Bean Salad

Lightly toast some flaked almonds.

Prepare your beans in the usual way, and cook them lightly in salted water until they're just done but not soft.

While still warm, toss them in good olive oil, a dab of vinegar (balsamic is good but not essential), with some finely sliced spring onions and the toasted flaked almonds.  No extra herbs or spices, which detract from the simplicity of the dish.

Err ... that's it.  :)

Goes especially well with cold beef.

Makes a nice supper dish on its own with good crusty bread, and maybe a little Parmesan cheese.

[Ishard]

Italian Beans

Topped and tailed fine beans
1 onion finely diced
4 -5 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
slug of white wine
Oil for frying
1 heaped teaspoon of sugar
water
Italian herbs of your choice or mixed dried herbs
Salt and lots of black pepper

Method

Fry onions in oil until translucent

add the rest of ingredients
(hold back on adding the beans if you wish to eat them al dente)

simmer until the water has evaporated and the sauce is thick

Season to taste.

To make this into a more substantial supper dish top with Parmesan (or you cheese of choice) and grill until cheese bubbles.

This is the only way one of my kids will eat runner beans.  ;D

This basic recipe can be adjusted to make a pasta sauce

add Fried courgettes
and creme friache (or double cream)

Serve with penne pasta and crusty bread

[Ishard]

Runner and butter bean supper

Runner beans
butter beans either rinsed from a can or defrosted from previously cooked, frozen beans
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
15ml vegetable oil
white wine (optional - add an extra 100ml water, if not using the wine)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
100ml vegetable stock (or water plus 1 stock cube)
1 level tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon fresh parsley and chives, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
cheese of choice and a large handful of corflakes
 
Method

Fry onions until translucent

Add the tomatoes

Trim runners and slice into half inch chunks.

Add the runner beans and butter beans with the wine, balsamic vinegar and stock. Stir well. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the runner beans are soft.

If your sauce needs thickening, use the cornflour: mix it with 2 tablespoons cold water and then stir quickly into the runner bean mixture.

Add the herbs and seasoning to taste

Roughly crush the cornflakes (between 2 bowls) and add grated cheese, mix well and scatter on top of the bean mix and put under grill until golden OR put the mix into and oven proof dish such as one for lasagna then make 'wells' or dents into the mixture and crack an egg into each well, then season eggs and cook in the oven until the eggs are cooked but not rubbery.

 

[Ishard]

Crunchy bean cous cous

Cooked and crunchy beans
2 med onions (chopped)
4 med toms (chopped into med dice)
1 lemon
nuts of choice (optional) either dry fry them or add just raw. Your choice.
Runny honey
fresh mint (chopped)
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper

Cook chopped runners until still crunchy
Soak cous cous in hot water add juice and peel (finely chopped) of one lemon.
When cous cous is still hot add the rest of the ingredients and taste. Adjust seasoning
Serve cold.

If you wish to make this a lunch dish rather than a side dish then add chopped boiled egg.

As with most of my recipes I dont usually measure ingrediants so you will need to adjust them to your personal taste

[Digeroo]

Had a wonderful green bean stew in Istanbul.  No sure receipe but following nice.

Onions
Chillie Prefereably part of a nice hot one you have grown!! but flakes will do
Teaspoon ginger and mixed spice and mixed herbs
Piece of root ginger (don't forget to take it out, no joke to get a whole mouthful of ginger)
Tin Tomatoes (or fresh ones if the blight has left you be)  Might be a good way of using up those green ones before the blight gets to them.
Any type of green beans (or even yellow ones) lots of them
Celery and carrots,
Another other spare veg - (quite good for dealing with overripe peas.)
Might be a good way of using up some of those green tomatoes before the blight gets to them.
Can full of water (same size as tomatoes, washes out the can!)
Optional - Chicken.

I fry onion and (chicken) then bung in the rest and zap in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes.  Better eaten the next day when the flavour of the chillie has come out.  Also nice if you open up the pressure cooker and add some more beans and only give them a short cooking - adds some crunch. (Or add fresh the next day)

[1066]

thanks for these, I've bean (  :P ) wondering what else to do with them, I particularly like the idea of adding them to cous cous.

I had a flick through a Sophie Grigson book for other ideas and she suggests slicing them up, and stir frying them quickly and then adding garlic and some seasame oil at the end, or you could stir fry with garlic / ginger / chilli and soy sauce.