Garden-fresh runner beans

[Freshly picked purple runner beans]

Look at these beans, oozing with dizzying delectability! From the garden of T’s aunt in Sevenoaks right outside London. I was given a bagful to bring home to Amsterdam two weekends ago. Not sure about how long the beans will stay peak in my refrigerator, I “googled” and found these storing tips from a UK site advocating seasonal foods.

“Runner beans will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days but, as with all legumes, the beans' sugars start turning to starch after picking and they are best eaten as soon as possible.”

So to savor these freshly picked beans and optimizing the vitamin C and fibre it has to offer, I sautéed them in olive oil with garlic the very next day, and served them with some organic ravioli I picked up from the health store near Rijksmuseum on my way home from work. Real easy and simply healthy. Except the lustrous purple hues didn’t stay mauve when cooked. Yup, you guessed it, they all turned into the color what beans are normally known to be – green! The wonders of nature...

*This is an entry for Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen.