In the spotlight - Runner beans

As July draws to a close, there's just time to squeeze another seasonal veg in - the runner bean. They are so easy to grow and perhaps just as well, as they aren't such a common sight in the supermarket, tending to take a back seat to the likes of fine beans, mange tout and sugar snap peas. When they do make an appearance, usually they will be very long, unfortunate, as they can be quite tough when they reach this stage. Runner beans require minimal preparation, just top, tail and remove the string down either side - hence the alternative name "string bean" - before slicing. Like other green beans and peas they are a good source of Vitamin C and folate, two vitamins which are lost when boiled, so cook lightly.

Folate is a vitamin that we've barely touched on so perhaps now is its chance. Folate is the naturally occurring form of folic acid, which expectant mothers will be so familiar with. While the need to take folic acid prior to conception and during the first three months of pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida is well known, this isn't where this vitamin's role ends. Another important function of folate is to form healthy red blood cells and deficiency can result in a form of anaemia where you do not make sufficient red blood cells, which are abnormally large and do not last as long as they should. As well as typical symptoms of anaemia such as tiredness and breathlessness, folate deficiency anaemia can also cause taste changes and indigestion - though any of these symptoms could be caused by a range of conditions, so it is important to obtain a firm diagnosis. Although poor dietary intake of folate can cause a deficiency, so too can high alcohol intakes, certain medications and bowel disorders such as crohn's disease and coeliac disease. A deficiency of folate will usually be treated with supplements, but you can make changes to your diet to maximise intake - green veg, pulses, citrus fruit, berries, liver and cereals fortified with folic acid are good sources. It has been suggested that bread, as a staple food in the UK, should be fortified with folic acid, but as yet this has not been taken forward. The concern is that extra folic acid could correct the anaemia that occurs as a result of Vitamin B12 deficiency, but would not help the associated impact on the nervous system seen with Vitamin B12 deficiency, which could result in long-term nerve damage if this deficiency was masked.

So what can you do with runner beans other than serve them on the side of a dish?

• Chopped runner beans and peppers with peas and sweetcorn can make a colourful addition to rice.
• Add to a stir-fry.
• Make a bean stew or curry with kidney beans, sliced green beans, tinned tomatoes, diced onion and whatever herbs and spices you fancy. Serve with rice, couscous, bulgar wheat or as a filling to a jacket potato.
• Add to a salad - similar to the way that cooked fine beans are added to a tuna Nicoise salad.
• Slice runner beans, peppers and courgettes then add to a pasta sauce.
• While summer might not be traditionally soup weather, it hasn't been the warmest recently, so making a soup with sliced runner beans, carrots, onion and potatoes might not be such a bad idea.

If you are looking for further inspiration for how you can incorporate runner beans into your meals, visit the following websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/runner_bean
http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipefinder/?search-type=recipes&freetext=runner+bean
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/search?q=runner+beans


Photo by Werner100359 (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons