Q Is ‘pea bean’ the right name for my late father’s crop?

A JAMES SAYS It’s wonderful to hear your story about this crop: “About 40-plus years ago, my late father found a few beans in the bottom of his toolbox. He called them pea beans, and my mother (now 100) and I still save the seeds and grow them every year.” Pea beans is indeed the correct term for this unusual variety of French bean, where the fresh green seeds are eaten like peas, rather than the whole pods. This delicious crop has fallen out of favour, but you have an edible inheritance to treasure.