Lemony Broad Beans

It’s almost too late for broad beans but not quite – many of us are enjoying the second harvest. I love them, The boy is okay with them but hates double podding them. He says they look like big ticks.

1kg broad beans

1 lemon

A good glug of olive oil

Salt and pepper

1tsp paprika

1tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp cayenne pepper

This is very slightly adapted from a recipe that came with the organic box. So – assuming the broad beans come in their long green pods, push them out. The boy actually likes this part. Bring a pan of water to the boil and give them about 7 minutes. Check to make sure they are tender.

Now the double podding – tip them into cold water so you can handle them, and remove the grey, slightly wrinkly skins from them and you will have lovely spring-like fresh green beans again.

Halve the lemon and cut one half into slices as thin as you can get them, removing the seeds.

Heat a large frying pan, with the oil and add the lemons. You want them to just start to caramelise. Tip in the beans. Add the spices. I think sweet paprika will work best here. Squeeze in the juice from the other half of the lemon and mix well until the beans are heated through and covered with the oil and spices. Add the alt and pepper and check the beans are tender – if not, add a splash of water and keep it going another minute or two.

The boy pointed out that this would be a good bruschetta topping if given another drizzle of oil at the end.