USE YOUR BEANS
When shopping for beans, you'll come across umbrella descriptions such as runner, green, French and broad. But what do these mean?
■ Broadly speaking, runner bean types are long and flat, as are Helda beans, which you may see in some larger supermarkets.
■ Green and French beans (also known as fine beans) are long and round, although some are thicker and others are thinner.
■ Broad beans have thick pods lined with a soft, downy layer and are usually picked out of their pod to eat, unless they're very young and tender, in which case you can eat them pods and all.
■ As well as green-coloured beans, there are also some which are yellow or cream in colour, and which are an attractive mottled pink or purple.
