My favourite fresh bean; big and meaty, sweet and tender (if you catch them young enough). I fell pregnant twice in December in the 80’s, three years apart, and both times by mid January I was fully nauseous. Runner beans – the smell, the texture, the taste, the look of them, they made me want to throw up, and both times the memory lasted 3 or 4 years so I went for nearly a decade unable to eat them. Those babies responsible for that morning sickness are now 28 and 31 and my love affair with these beans resumed a couple of decades ago. It’s mid January now and we are in full bean throttle, picking 300g every second day which is about right with two or three plants and only two of us at home now. As with all fresh food simple is easy, so it’s usually just a hint of garlic infused olive oil and fresh parsley tossed through. Here, also, is a comforting dahl with lemon and green beans. Try this beetroot and green bean salad.