Apart from my obvious love of the growing, cooking and eating of fruits and vegetables, I also gain great satisfaction in providing protein to the kitchen. I’d love to go back to keeping chickens who gave us their lovely eggs but hubby is not so keen and I do under the work involved so the next best thing to eggs is beans!

I always grow half a row of French beans in the full knowledge that once I can no longer keep up with their vigorous production I can leave them on the plants to dry and they will miraculously turn into haricot beans, the same variety that tumbles out of a tin covered in tomato sauce. The beans after having been left to dry on the plants for a couple of months, they are just so pretty.With a few left over still needing to dry out.These will continue to dry out and then I will pop them in a jar for winter recipes. I’ll pop a few in an envelope and label it well for next years growing, then it really will be food for free, which always puts a smile on this allotment holders face.