Allotment recipes

Broad Beans growing shoots.

May 2021: It’s Broad Bean season. These are so delicious picked straight off the pod and they really are the first crop of the season. After the hungry months of March and April, in May the humble broad bean comes into its own. The large beans are used in recipes in Spain with chorizo but I like my humus spread, which I’ve been making since 2014. Yummy!
If they grow very big: Some tips are to remove the outer skin and cook the beans inside. Just compost the skins.
Now cook these green beauties until they get soft and mushy. Usually about 15 mins or so. Do not discard the water! It’s full of bean vitamins fresh from your garden. I made this when I worked as a teacher because I don’t enjoy the same lunch every day. This one got many comments from staff and children alike!

Broad bean humus
1. Using a handful of cooked beans, mush them with a fork or use a liquidiser. Keep the water to add in when you whizz.
2. Next for flavouring! Add crushed garlic, Tahini (sesame seed), black pepper and salt if you like. If I have any stock, sometimes I add it here or chop some herbs (or just use the water you cooked them in). Depends what else is fresh in the garden.
3. I add mayonnaise occasionally if I intend to spread on crackers or bread.

Really nutritious delicious lunch box addition – spread on rice crackers to be the envy of a school canteen or staffroom.
Hint: it could be the green food of a caterpillar or even dragon baby 🙂

Enjoy! Other allotment recipes http://serpentinacreations.com/site/?page_id=3537Grow Potol in the UK