Madagascar Beans again

Someone asked me in a comment what I do with the Madagascar beans. So …

I need quite a lot of recipes for them, cos they are hugely prolific – one vine has filled several of my big storage jars already – and the way they climb and ramble means they can make use of a lot of otherwise unproductive space. Luckily there are a lot of recipes that are very delicious. Ours was supposed to occupy the fence, but its’s done that, then taken off to cover the rio mesh roof of the carport. Accidental design, but it’s a good plant for that. It doesn’t drop a lot of leaves or fruit to make it slippery or smelly in the carport, the thick web of leaves and stems is good hail protection, and the beans are easy to pick from a little step ladder.

Beans feature in many traditional (and blue zone) cuisines. They’re hugely healthy. Madagascar beans adapt to most Mexican, Tex Mex and Central American recipes – which is one of my favourite cuisines. I have a pot full of them in the slow cooker now. It’s a sunny day, and a pity to let all that free solar power go to waste. Tomorrow’s breakfast will likely be Frijoles con Queso (Cheesy beans) or Huevos con Frijoles (Eggs and beans) or Refritos with flatbread. Some will be made into bean paste for Quesadillas, possibly for lunch or dinner, and some into Chili Beans. Or I might make Bean burgers.

Madagascar beans also adapt well to most Mediterranean recipes – which is another of my favourite cuisines. So I might adapt some kind of dip traditionally made with fava beans, like Bessara or Ful Medames, or some kind of soup traditionally made with white beans, like Fasolada. Or I might make some kind of Minestrone, like this.