One of the best bits of growing your own are the little extras that you can’t buy in the shops.
Growing broad beans give you a bundle of benefits.
In the early evening at the moment the flowers smell gorgeous, it’s like jasmine wafting across the garden.
Then there’s broad or fava bean tops.
This time of year I pinch out the tops of the plants to help them concentrate their efforts on growing beans.
There are two bonuses to this. One is that it really reduces the chances of blackfly setting in.
The second is that they taste blooming lovely steamed with salt, pepper and butter.
They are a bit like asparagus but much softer and more broad-beany tasting.
Funny that.
They are good on top of risotto too.
As for the this crazy looking bunch of chard.
It looks amazing but I’m not quite sure what to do with that yet.
It’s currently sat in a glass vase looking pretty.
All suggestions welcome.
Things we make 
aforkfulofspaghetti
June 19, 2010
The broad bean tops sound delish! Never had them – the nearest I’ve come is sprout tops, which I adore. I now have broad bean top envy… 😉
As for the chard, try this: http://aforkfulofspaghetti.blogspot.com/2009/07/provencal-dessert-made-from-chard.html
Isabel@fennelandfern
June 19, 2010
yeay! Another marvellous post. With chard, I melt some butter in a pan, saute some crushed garlic and then wilt the chard leaves for about two minutes tops. Then sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper. Can’t get enough of the stuff!
thingswemake
June 22, 2010
Thanks Isabel. We tried that on Sunday. Lovely.
Ian Fischer
June 22, 2010
These sounds and look nice, but the tops of mine are usually covered in blackfly which, being a vegetarian, I am not partial to eating. How to you keep yours blackfly free and thus suitable for vegetarians?
thingswemake
June 22, 2010
Hi Ian. It’s tricky , you need to get in there quick before the blackfly sets in. As soon as there are enough flower heads ready to bloom I take the tops out and this year only one sprout had got blackfly so I threw that one in the compost. Other years I have had to spray with fairy liquid and water to get rid of them but I wouldn’t eat them then. We have had less blackfly since I moved the beans to a less slightly less sunny space I think. We have pea, and kale tops too in a little sprouty Summer Greens collection. Hope you are well.