Anna Rubingh - All Things Beans

Photography, words & recipes: © Anna Rubingh

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The second half of summer is for beans. They grow in abundance in any vegetable garden at this time of year. But what to do with all those beans?

Beans are super versatile, as just a side dish of vegetables, but you can do so much with beans. Turn a good old green bean into a classic French bean salad with a vinaigrette of shalot, mustard, garlic, lemon and lots of olive oil. Or use them in a warm bean salad with beetroot, new potatoes, smoked mackerel in a dressing of crème fraiche, topped with boiled eggs. Or in a salad with green and dried beans, tomatoes and French goat cheese.

Or make a mixed bean stew of green, purple and yellow beans combined with dried beans and runner beans cooked in a wonderful tomato sauce ans served with bruchetta. Even the biggest meat lover won't miss the meat in this dish full of flavour. (although a free range organic pork sausage would also go very well with this dish)

And when you are all done with the salads and stews, try a buttery pasta with runner beans, peas, capers and mint. For a little sweet twist in a lunch dish, grilled peaches are fantastic with beans and burrata.

And last but certainly not least, a fantastic curry with beans, new potatoes and chicken, served with naan or rice.

So you really can't have enough beans in your veg patch. Or, when you don't have a veg patch, buy loads of them when they are in season.