Broad beans for broad appeal

The vegetable gardens of old consisted of boring rows of carrots and cabbages that were boiled until they were boring, too.
Then gardeners discovered frilly red lettuce, feathery fennel and coloured chard, plus flowers to attract pest-eating predators, and vegies moved from the back of the backyard to a spot where they could be admired.
But broad beans stayed boring – a useful filler in winter, and a virtuous early-spring crop, but often messy-looking as the stems collapsed after heavy rain. To add insult to injury, the kids left the tough, tasteless beans on the plate.
Then gardeners rediscovered red-flowered broad beans, and suddenly, miraculously, boring broad beans became the most gorgeous plant in the garden, with bright crimson, sweet pea-like blooms all along the metre-high stems.
The wow potential of broad beans still seems mostly unknown, as does the fact – known only to gardeners who are also superb cooks – that broad beans don’t have to be tough and tasteless. You just need to grow your own. And pick them every day.
Young broad beans can be eaten, pod and all, the day they emerge – they’ll be smaller than your little finger. The beans inside should be eaten when they are the same size as peas, before the outer ‘skin’ forms.
They are sweet and soft and taste of… broad bean. Nothing tastes quite like them – including larger broad beans!
Want to know more? Get your copy of our March issue for more about beautiful broad beans and how to grow them. New issue – on sale now
Image: iStock