Anyone who has ever dabbled in growing veg at home will probably have experienced a glut of runner beans. Easy to grow (remember those beans you grew in damp kitchen towel and plastic bottles in primary school? Yep, those were runners!) and heavy cropping, they are initially a delight, and then occasionally a burden as you struggle to come up with yet another way of incorporating runner beans into every meal. This recipe works as a side dish or as a light supper accompanied by a grain such as couscous or quinoa. What’s more, it freezes well so you can continue to enjoy the taste of summer through the autumn and into the winter.

Serves 4

500g runner beans
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
2 large fresh or 300g tinned tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Begin by preparing your runner beans; top and tail them and using a peeler, peel down the string side of the bean. Now slice into thin slices on the diagonal and set to one side.

Heat the sunflower oil in a pot on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the cayenne pepper and paprika and fry for a further minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and sliced runner beans.

Add a good pinch of salt and enough water to almost cover and simmer without a lid for 30 minutes until the beans are very tender. Add the parsley and some pepper and serve.

The beans will last 3 days in the fridge and freeze very well.