The facts on green beans

1. Serve steamed beans with olive oil, pepper and toasted pine nuts.

2. Eat young beans with simple dips, or serve as part of a nibble selection of fresh vegetables. When beans are young and small they make a superb snack.

3.For a delicious salad, serve cooked beans with cherry tomatoes, pitted olives and crumbled feta.

4. For a double-bean hit, toss cooked beans with fresh basil leaves, olive oil and tinned cannellini beans.

5. And while we are talking salads, don’t forget that the bean is an integral part of the niçoise salad. Just add canned tuna, boiled eggs and tomatoes.

6. Beans added to curries at the last minute provide that crucial bit of freshness.

7. To cook large flat beans, cut them into 4cm lengths and add them to a simple sauce of onion, tomato and garlic. Spoon over risoni and top with grated parmesan.

8. Make a salad of mixed beans tossed with mint and grilled haloumi.

9. Roast red and yellow capsicums until the skin is blistered. Peel away the skin and seeds and slice the flesh into thin strips. Put the roast capsicum into a serving bowl with blanched green beans, a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and a balsamic vinegar dressing.