4 July 2006

Gourmet plans

Having pretty much finished the last of my broad beans, I am now ready to share my disappointment in them. It seems like sacrilege after the sweat and toil involved in the journey from seed to plate to say this, but say it I will.

Last year my broad beans were a product of an impatient February sowing, subsequently abandoned and neglected, that astounded me when they produced their unexpected pods. What’s more, they tasted absolutely gorgeous. I picked them small and young and the taste was so sweet that even after being kept for over a week in the fridge there was not a hint of bitterness in them.

This year I sowed a different variety, gave over a whole bed to them and tended them lovingly. Again I picked them young. I even found poetry that described my excitement in picking them. You would think that vegetables treated so well would produce delectable crops, wouldn’t you? But no. They really didn’t taste very nice at all.

And I thought that this growing your own malarkey – and being organic – was supposed to be a sure fire winner in the flavour stakes.

Putting my grief and dejection behind me I am planning that this should never happen again for next year I am consulting the experts. I want to be clued up as to which broad beans are best for flavour and will be trying maybe three or four different varieties. Hopefully this time next year I will be enjoying flavoursome beans.

Otherwise, it will be more than the beans that are bitter…

Filed under: Harvest, Review & plan — Clare @ 7:15 pm