Home-grown: Green beans

They’re nutrient-packed and really easy to cook!

You can still sow quick-growing dwarf beans such as ‘Purple Tepee’ now for a crop later this year. Otherwise plant out new plants now, continue to water growing bean crops, support them well and start harvesting when pods are around 10cm (4in) long.

Green or French beans are such an easy vegetable to prepare and cook. Just snip off the stalk end with kitchen scissors, snip the ends off too if you like but there’s no real need, the ‘tails’ aren’t tough and look pretty left on. Quick cooking suits them best – brief steaming or stir-frying works particularly well. Leave whole or cut into bite-size pieces.