First Harvest: Trionfo Violetto Beans

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Here they are, the gorgeous purple pole beans I grew from seed. They’re an heirloom variety called trionfo violetto from Franchi Sementi seed company in Italy. I’ve been going out every morning and picking a fat handful from beneath the burgundy-tinged leaves. The flavor is wonderfully direct and grassy. Too bad they don’t retain that plummy color when cooked: instead they turn a lovely green.

I like to blanch them in boiling salted water, then plunge immediately into an ice water bath. In summer, I prefer green beans served as a salad so I’ll dress them either in a shallot vinaigrette or a fragrant loose pesto. Easy.

As mentioned in a previous post, the seed source is Seeds from Italy at www.growitalian.com. 100 gram seed packet of Trionfo Violetto beans, $5.05.

--S. Irene Virbila