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I am lucky enough to live in an area with a high ethnic population and so my local market sells a lot of produce to cater for them. This morning I was talking to a stallholder who had some very fresh looking broad beans. He mentioned that the French don't go in for them much but that they figure prominently in many North African and Mediterranean dishes. He told me that the young ones can just be cut into pieces, PODS and all! And added to meat or chicken stews!  I was very surprised at this, as the broad bean pods always seem to me to be, well, furry for a start, and rather tough.

Has anyone eaten them this way?  Mine are not ready yet but I am tempted to try that when they are!

Hi Antipodes,

Yes, use them when they are very young, cook them like runnerbeans, they are lovely :)

Hope you enjoy them :)

Not tried them whole myself but some of my fellow plot holders pick them well before they start to swell and cook them and say they are good.

Im not fond of broad beans anyway but still grow them for a friend.Keep considering trying various recipes but never get round to it.

tried the variety Stereo, which is a mange tout type, it seems. Idea was to have whole beans before the french beans were ready. We found the taste too strong. Eat them very very small I suppose

The only time I will eat them is whole when the pod is the size of my little finger.

Hmmmm I see.
Last year some friends made a wonderful dish with dried broad beans. stewed with onions, garlic and chicken, it was delicious, I think it's a Moroccan dish.

I quite like broad beans raw when very small!  I suppose the advantage of growing yr own is to use them at any stage that  pleases you! I only have about 10 bushes this year, as no one else likes them much.

 'Fraid half my crop gets eaten at little-finger-size, in stirfrys or as part of a bean salad. Best of all though are the tops, sautéed in butter.

Geoff.

I like the small pods very small, but tend to wait for the bigger beans.  They are not tough or stingy.   I also like the tops, steamed for a few seconds then then served with butter and pepper. 

Drool.... :P