DOES SIZE MATTER?

Not in this case. The more mature pods of this variety taste just as sweet and tender as the fresh young ones. I love runners. They are so easy, pretty, tasty and what's more they grow high up, so even our voracious slugs rarely reach them.

My favourite recipe is to steam them till tender while gently frying some juicy fresh onions and tomatoes. I then add them to the veg mix and stir in some fresh oregano and smoked paprika. For extra extravagance, I fry the onions and tomatoes with some chorizo and maybe bake under a crumble of oats, olive oil and some sharp cheddar.

The morning was a bit of a rush with telephone tutorials, admin and various appointments. Then lunch with one of very favourite people and a glorious sunny afternoon harvesting in the garden.