Broad Beans, Pods and All

It took us four years to grow these.

Every year before this, our broad beans would get covered in blackfly. The plants struggled, the pods never really developed, and we never got to this stage. This year was different.

We had kale and broccoli flowering nearby, and with them came the bees and other insects. The whole allotment felt more alive. For the first time, the broad beans were left alone. No blackfly takeover. Just healthy plants and, eventually, more beans than we expected.

And when I picked them, I knew exactly how I wanted to cook them.

Not the usual way you see in the UK, where the beans are double-podded and the skins removed. Instead, the way I grew up eating them in Turkey. Young, fresh, and cooked whole, pods and all, more like green beans.

There is one thing to say honestly. These are not quite the same variety you find in markets in Turkey at this time of year. Those cook quickly and stay tender. These took time. Quite a lot of time. Mine cooked for over an hour, closer to two, until they softened properly.

But once they did, the taste was exactly what I remembered.

Simple, soft, lemony, with olive oil and dill. A dish that gets even better the next day.

Broad Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon and Dill (Pods and All)

Ingredients

120 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

750gr Fresh broad beans, young, topped, tailed and cut in half

1 lemon, juice

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons water

1 small bunch dill, finely chopped

1 cup water

Salt

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.

2. Add the sliced garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add the prepared broad beans to the pan. If you have time, keep them in lemon water beforehand to prevent browning, then drain before adding.

4. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Pour this mixture over the beans.

5. Add the chopped dill and pour in about 1 cup of water, so the beans are roughly halfway submerged.

6. Season with salt, cover the pan, and cook gently until the beans are soft. Stir and turn them every 30 minutes, adding more water if needed.

7. Cooking time will depend on the beans. Mine took well over an hour, so be patient and cook until fully tender.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with more dill on top and yoghurt on the side.

If you make it, don’t rush it. The long cooking is part of it. And if your beans are more tender than mine, you’ll be rewarded even sooner.