Sometimes, my
veg box surprises me with the stuff I almost forget about; the things I cook
while I secretly look forward to other vegetables I get to have later. I was
excited for the aubergine and the red pepper in last week’s box – two pre-box
staples that I now don’t eat so often any more. I looked forward to the baby
leaf spinach. And they were good. But
the best meal I had all week was a plate of steamed runner beans with butter
and some chilli flakes. I still can’t believe how good it was. Or indeed why it
was so good. I’ve had lots of green beans in my life, and never have been too
excited about them. Enjoying these so very much felt quite spectacular.
Apart from veg box magic, the trick is definitely to buy very fresh beans
and cook them for no more than a few minutes. And some proper butter, of
course. They go with almost anything. Or with nothing at all.
Runner beans with
butter
In my experience runner
beans are best when very fresh; when they lose their snap, it can’t be recovered.
Buy fresh, eat soon, and cook briefly.
a good bag of
runner beans
delicious salted
butter
some dried
chilli flakes
Top, tail and string the runner beans, and cut into twos or threes (small
enough to fit the pan or steamer). Steam in a small layer of water or in a
steamer basket for 2–4 minutes. Take the beans out immediately as they turn
bright green, and run them under cold tap to stop them from cooking any
further. Add a knob of good butter, toss, and top with chilli flakes.
Zingy
spicy version: let the butter soften a bit, then mix with half a chopped fresh
chilli, grated zest of one lime and a finely sliced clove of garlic. Delicious
with fish or seafood.
- Naomi