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Owen Pidgeon: How to harvest a green bean bounty

Owen Pidgeon

Green beans are a versatile ingredient in kitchen.
Green beans are a versatile ingredient in kitchen.Getty

One of the challenges in growing any summer crop is to have a continuous supply of vegetables through the growing months. Beans are an easy vegetable to grow and they produce very good yields per square metre of garden allocation. Growing beans has been a pastime of the central and south Americans for at least 10,000 years. Bush and climbing beans were brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.

Our bush beans have been producing well this summer, with provider and blue lake the most prolific. We mixed in a good helping of well rotted compost when planting and have been growing them in sheltered, sunny locations. As they are shallow-rooted, they have needed to be regularly weeded, so that the grasses that emerged after the heavy summer rains did not crowd them out. Then when the hot days of February arrived, they were regularly deeply watered.

We have also continued to plant the tender yellow bush bean from France, called Roc d'Or, because of its superior quality. However, like many vegetables with superior flavour or looks, it is not as prolific as the more standard varieties.

The makings of green bean and tomato Greek salad.
The makings of green bean and tomato Greek salad.Getty
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Midsummer saw us planting out some big garden beds of climbing beans. We selected epicure, blue lake and purple king to give us a mix of colours at harvest time. Epicure is nearly a true stringless variety and blue lake is a heavy-bearing stringless type which bears over a long period. Purple king is a heavy bearer and the pods are very flavoursome. We are looking at some plants growing to 2 metres and are providing a strong trellis support. This should give us a good supply for the local Capital Region Farmers Market through March and into April.

It is getting very close to the end of the planting season for beans in the cooler mountain regions as you will be able to keep producing a harvest only until the first frosts. The quickest-growing bush beans, such as provider and simba, will take seven to eight weeks to produce a crop. Hawkesbury Wonder will set pods in cooler days than most other varieties. Once the frosty mornings set in, the whole plants will blacken and die off.

You could experiment with a couple more rows, if planted this week, especially if you can plant on the northern side of a brick wall to reflect the warmth of the sun in mid April. I do note that the Canberra Gardener Guide suggest that the planting season for beans ends in January. However, if like me you have a small spare garden bed and like to experiment with late season plantings, its worth a try with the fastest-growing bush bean varieties. You could also plant a row of snow peas alongside and build up the quality of the garden bed, with these vegetables that have naturally enhancing, nitrogen-producing nodules.

Sometimes you plant out too many seeds of some vegetables for the daily needs of your family. This can be true with beans. You wait and wait for the flowers to appear. With beans, the little pods emerge and grow quite quickly and then you see literally dozens of beans hanging down from some plants. Well, you can consider that you have been very successful and surplus beans will not go to waste. Be a good neighbour and offer some around. Share some with work colleagues.

Should you still have an oversupply, beans are one crop which can be easily blanched and frozen for later use. Cut into serving lengths and cook with a little water in your microwave for one minute then place into a colander and wash through with cold water. Place a daily serving into small plastic freezer bags and freeze.

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Beans are a very versatile vegetable so you can cook them and serve them in many ways. Create spicy bean salads, use beans in stir-fry dishes, saute with butter or add to a tasty chilli beef dish.

Green bean and tomato Greek salad

500g stringless beans
400g plum tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 red onion, sliced
2 large cucumbers, diced
200g feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
¼ cup virgin olive oil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
6 basil leaves, shredded
4 sprigs parsley, shredded

Cut the beans into serving portions and cook until tender. Place into a large serving bowl and add in the tomatoes, olives, onion and cucumbers.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, crushed garlic, mustard, olive oil, oregano and pepper. Add the dressing to the bean and tomato salad and then add in the basil and parsley. Chill for 30 minutes then serve.

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This week in the garden

* Sow chives, shallots, mustard greens and open leaf lettuces. Plant coriander seed in a planter box for autumn harvest.

* Plant out brassica seedlings into rich, compost laden garden beds. Try Italian green sprouting brocccoli and snowball cauliflower, and also plant some brussel sprouts seedlings for a winter harvest.

* Pick ripe fruit and strawberries in the early morning to ensure maximum sweetness.

* Begin harvesting Williams and Red Sensation pears two weeks before they are fully ripe and store in refrigerator to fully ripen. Check one fruit to see that the seeds are darkening and the skin colour is lightening up. Carefully twist the stalk upwards when picking, or use secateurs.

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* Give all of your well-established vegetables a fortnightly foliar watering with seaweed or fish emulsion extracts.

Owen Pidgeon runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.

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