I have started getting a weekly organic fruit and veg delivery by Riverford. After reading recently about the horrors of pesticides, I decided to go organic, with fruit and veg at least. Plus I like being more in tune with what’s in season. Also though, I wanted someone else to decide what we were having! I know that sounds crazy, but I love the challenge. I’m too tired and busy to think about it! I eat everything, and I want my kids to grow up the same way (no such luck as yet, but I’m working on it every day), so I love the fact that I don’t know what will be in there.
We’re two boxes in. This week we got: bananas, apples, rhubarb, physalis, tomatoes, lettuce, salad pots, mushrooms, florence fennel (with masses of fronds too, great for soup) – and green beans! I like the fact that I have to use something every day, to get through it all. It’s making me a more inventive cook. (Don’t worry though, they supply plenty of recipe ideas for anyone who gets stumped.)
Also, last week (my first order) was a little bit late due to an admin error. To make up for it, this week I got 2 posh little bottles of apple juice, plus a really lovely cook book filled with seasonal fruit and vegetable recipes. Thrilled to bits with that. Brownie points aplenty, Riverford!
Anyway, I had some leftover breadcrumbs, as well as some cheese and a little parsley in the fridge, so this is what I had for lunch. I can’t vouch for the kid-friendliness of it, as they’re not here, but I bet they would give it a go – green beans are nice and easy to handle for little ones, so it’d be one to encourage them to eat with their hands.
Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a lunch
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
400g of green beans
100g Wensleydale (any white crumbly cheese will do – use feta if you like)
25g (approx. a large handful) stale country / artisan loaf breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Small handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions:
- Plunge the green beans into a couple of inches of boiling water with a little salt. Steam for about 7 minutes, or until cooked just beyond the squeaky point! Drain and toss in oil and a little more salt.
- Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, let it soften for a few minutes without colouring. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley, a large pinch of salt, and fry until brown and crisp. About 10 minutes should do.
- Cut up the cheese into cubes, or crumble if it’s very crumbly.
- Combine in a large bowl. Drizzle with more oil and eat immediately.
These look really tasty. I will have to try them definitely!
They are so good. We had some leftover and ate them cold later on with some sausages. The kids loved them!