Beans on toast

[British Red]

Made some beans on toast for my vegetarian neighbours tea the other night as we were having a barbecue....

For the beans...

1 large red onion (homegrown)
4 cloves of garlic (homegrown)
sauteed till soft

Add 1lb peeled, chopped tomatoes (homegrown)
3tbs of muscavado sugar
2tbs of cider vinegar (home made)
2 tsp of worcester sauce
simmer till thickened

add 1lb fresh field beans (home grown)

Simmer until tender (5 mins)


Baked Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr

Then throw together a basic foccacia (only the rosemary and garlic were home grown here...)


Focaccia by British Red, on Flickr

...although the flour is local....from here


Windmill by British Red, on Flickr

Thick slice the foccacia , toast on the barbecue while the beans warm through, pour beans over bread. Simples.

Weirdly the meat eaters wanted some too

[Kepis]

Sounds sublime, going to have to give that a go i think

[mountainm]

What do i have to do to get an invite? Not a veggie but that sounds scrumptious.

[British Red]

You know the weird thing? You can't sell field beans in Britain! Most farmers grow them as nitrogen fixers and maybe feed them to pigs or just plough the lot under

I am growing a heritage variety (Wizard) for the first time this year. Imagine something half the size of a broad bean but as sweet as a petis pois. They really are a revelation! I get now why Italians go nuts for bean / tomato / garlic combinations. Will experiment with more next year...but most of this years will be turned over to seed production so that I can increase the amount we grow next year

[mountainm]

You tried making a Cassoulet with them?

[the interceptor boy]

Hi British red
Add 1lb peeled chopped onions (home grown). ! Should that be tomatoes, or am I wrong, how do you get the colour red in your sauce in the pan.

For the beans!
1 large red onion
4cloves of garlic
Sauteed till soft.

Cheers the interceptor boy.

[British Red]

Good spot - typing from memory tomatoes indeed

[Everything Mac]

Nom nom nom....as it were.

Andy

[santaman2000]

It certainly looks deliscious! I've got to get "smell-a-vision" added to my computor. Do you have any pix of the raw beans? I've never heard of "field" beans before. We usually use navy beans for baked bean recipes.

[British Red]

Not shelled (although I can shell some tomorrow)

This is how they look on the plant


Field beans by British Red, on Flickr

[santaman2000]

Thanks Red. I cain't tell much bout them in the shells; might or might not be able to freshly shelled for that matter. I've only ever seen fresh peas (including field peas and blackeyed peas) over here; that is, apart from butter-beans and lima-beans. Usually get other beans dried. Hopefully I'll be able to recognize them though

[British Red]

Fava beans over there I think sm. I'll take piccs next time I shell some

[santaman2000]

Now those I've heard of. Never tried them yet but I've heard of them.

[British Red]

...they go well with a nice chianti....

[santaman2000]

LOL. Yes but I don't think that menu was for vegetarians.

[rik_uk3]

Bloody vegetarians made you leave out the all important belly pork Red and ruin the meal. Great meal Red but sadly 'empty' without the all important belly pork

[MartiniDave]

Red,

I'm very envious of you. You seem to have got things nicely sorted in the produce line!

Dave

[MattB]

There's the start of a truly magnificent Full English in there somewhere!

[British Red]

Mmmm - there was a magnificent roast dinner tonight. Its been a poor carrot season...but the parsnips are an inspiration! Plump, sweet as a nut...firm, tender.....in the oven within 15 minutes of lifting

Its all worth while at this time of year!

[bilmo-p5]

Is that the mill in the middle of Boston opposite the pub across the canal. I stayed in that pub on my way home years ago. When I looked out the window in the morning I thought I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere the night before. :hic:

[abominable_scouse_monster]

That looks freaking awsome, I am sooo trying that.

[British Red]

Is that the mill in the middle of Boston opposite the pub across the canal. I stayed in that pub on my way home years ago. When I looked out the window in the morning I thought I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere the night before. :hic:

Close - but its the next one along...Sibsey Trader Mill

http://sibseytraderwindmill.co.uk/

Stunning people, let you really fossic around, happy to take time to show you how it works. Its a proper working mill, where we get our flour from, but also where we buy whole wheat berries to grind ourselves by hand when I'm feeling fit.

Next year I hope to grow our own heritage long stemmed wheat (finding any for seed was a right game I tell you). That should take the bread on a stage....using flour grown and reaped by us and ground on site

I know its daft to most people, but I get a real sense of satisfaction from this stuff