Cannellini beans

In July and August, we can buy them fresh in their pods. The bean is slender, long and ivory white. The taste is nutty, the texture creamy, and the beans take up the flavour of strong herbs such as sage and rosemary, garlic and parsley.

When purchasing dried cannellini beans, look carefully at the sell-by date, as old beans have tough skins. They must be soaked for at least 12 hours and cooked gently without any seasonings, with the possible exception of fresh sage, tomato and garlic in the cooking water.