Here is a recipe for something that makes use of a few ingredients. Allotments and gardens are of course good for everything -mind, body and pocket, especially at this time of year. The beans are in season and it's time to put them at the centre of this dish.
This is going to be a bit unscientific because 1) I'm not a cook really, just like this and go by what looks right and 2) it might spoil the fun of it if it is. You also just have to use what 'comes up' so can add or remove ingredients depending on how things went, or what you want to buy.
So for this:
Borlotti beans, left to grow a bit longer and removed from the pod
Tomatoes - from allotment San Marzano, bulked up with a couple from the shop as there aren't many yet this year (fingers crossed...) and they're important for the sauce
1 or maybe 2 courgette(s)
Celery
Onion
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
That's it! All you need, really. No garlic in this - save that for if you pick the beans young/green and boil them whole to eat with salt, oil and a bit of garlic. It's good for you, okay...
Take the beans out of the pods. Boil them in salted water until just before you think ready, I'd say just before al dente.
While this is happening put olive oil or whichever you want to cook with in a frying pan or cooking pot, just enough to cover the bottom, and add the chopped onion, diced courgette, celery (nice to leave in 'sticks' so they stay a bit crunchy) and chopped tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and more (or some if you didn't use it before) olive oil drizzled over the top. Cover this with a pan lid to let everything steam a bit, soften and create a juice.
When things have softened add the beans using a spoon - a little of the water they boiled in is good. The lid can be removed and the juice reduce a bit while the vegetables finish cooking. Give things a stir and if you want (I don't) you can remove the tomatoes skins which have separated from the fruit now too.
That's it. Here it is, with bread. Very nice and healthy, too (probably).
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