Yin Yang Beans

[ColinM]

I never cease to be pleased by these.

Plus they taste quite good too

[Anthony]

What is the best accompaniement for these beauties?

[ColinM]

What is the best accompaniement for these beauties?

Pretty much the same as most other beans.
They taste nice but "normal". So they'd go in a tomato sauce, or a paella, or........many things.

Depending on the variety you grow (never seen them in the shops) they may keep their markings when cooked. However many of them often turn a uniform brown, so the markings are best seen when fresh.

You can get them as climbing beans (2+ metres high) or dwarf beans. I've also seen them called "Orca beans" or "Dalmation beans" which is easy to understand.

[afx]

Hmm,
I wonder whether they would keep the colors in a chili...
Never seen them here in Germany.

cheers
afx

[ColinM]

I wonder whether they would keep the colors in a chili...
Never seen them here in Germany.

Hi Afx, if you send me the recipe or a rough idea of how you like your chilli's, I'd be happy to make it, take some pix (and maybe send you some tasting notes!).

I have seen the 'seeds' on sale in one place in the UK, but I generally buy them online. You'd have to grow your own - doubt they're ever on sale in retail places, other than maybe an enthusiast whole food shop who'd also grown their own.

The seed pods look fairly normal when on the plant. Here's the seeds in freshly opened pods

[Frank Fremerey]

I love the second one. Lighting is such, that the structural features of the encasements are wonderfully rendered. Thank you for sharing.

[afx]

Hi Afx, if you send me the recipe or a rough idea of how you like your chilli's, I'd be happy to make it, take some pix (and maybe send you some tasting notes!).

Oh well, the recipe is rather flexible:
1 part minced mixed meat, 1 part chopped canned tomatoes, 1 part beans. And lots of chopped onions of curse.
Brown the meat with a bit of brown sugar to get some caramellization going before putting in the onions. Add the rest after the onions start to lightly brown.
An eclectic mix of dried chillies that I get straight from Texas (I used to visit Austin often and have friends there that keep my supply up). We typically soak them and blend them and then use the paste to have more control over the dosage.  That mix includes smoked Anchos, Serranos, Habaneros and whatever we have...
Add fresh or canned Jalapenas, salt, pepper, cumin, concentrated tomato, beer, cacao, espresso to taste.

Been doing that every February for 25+ people for more than 10 years now who all attest that this is the reference to measure others against..... (at least this side of the pond ;-)

I have seen the 'seeds' on sale in one place in the UK, but I generally buy them online.

Could you send me a link please?

The seed pods look fairly normal when on the plant. Here's the seeds in freshly opened pods

That is even better then the first shot! It is getting close to a classic kitchen poster ;-)

cheers
afx

[elsa hoffmann]

Looks like Halloween Eyeballs

[ColinM]

Looks like Halloween Eyeballs

They must do that differently down your way Elsa

[ColinM]

Thank you Frank and afx.

I will try to give this recipe a go afx, as I never tire of cooking or eating chilli. I'm going to use fresh chilli peppers if you don't mind, as I have a good supply from the garden.
I'm also going to add a few whole green coriander seeds as
a) my plants are producing lots as summer ends and we move into autumn and
b) they taste fantastic. An explosion of the green aromatic citrusy flavour (similar to what you get from the leaf) that hides within the dish, waiting for you to bite into it!

As for links:

Some background
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/20/alys-fowler-pea-beans

Seed suppliers in the UK and USA
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/dwarf-french-bean-seeds-yin-yang-pid1932.html
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Yin_Yang_Bean_Seed/dry_shelling_beans_seed

This place is excellent
http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d53.html

Note: you can get this in the "dwarf" variety or (as I prefer) the climbing variety, so check for this when looking

[Gary]

I've never seen these. Quite amusing. Looks like the beans are wearing a toupee. My beans that I have growing in the yard are bald.

[rosko]

.

Black and white beans !

.

I don't know these ones .

Are they tasty ?

The best way to cook beans consists to use them FRESH.

But they can be frozen (fresh)...

I really like the first picture (the beans in a dish)

Francis.

Cheers, Francis.

[elsa hoffmann]

They must do that differently down your way Elsa

  we dont do Halloween in South Africa

[ColinM]

Are they tasty ?

The best way to cook beans consists to use them FRESH.

Yes, they are fine.
I agree - dried beans = more hassle & never quite the same

[afx]

Thanks for the links Colin!

I'm going to use fresh chilli peppers if you don't mind, as I have a good supply from the garden.

Totally different taste ;-)
There are two reasons why I used dried ones:
Some of them (the Anchos) are smoked which adds a nice dark flavor.
I don't really have a good supply of fresh chilies here ;-(
My wife planted some Habaneros this year, have not tried them yet.

I'm also going to add a few whole green coriander seeds as
a) my plants are producing lots as summer ends and we move into autumn and
b) they taste fantastic. An explosion of the green aromatic citrusy flavour (similar to what you get from the leaf) that hides within the dish, waiting for you to bite into it!

Interesting, never seen green seeds.
I do have a love/hate relationship with Cilantro. On the one hand chili and salsa need it on the other the straight taste does not agree with me....

cheers
afx