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, they're certainly easier to peel than grapes).But don't despair if your beans have matured more than you would have wanted. Just cook, peel and mash the beans into a tasty puree.Broad beans are a simple crop to grow, but you do need quite a long row

by the hedge to harden them off before planting them out.We've had mixed results with broad beans. I usually sow them in autumn - trouble is that they need to get established as soon as they're planted otherwise the mice can dig them up and eat them. As well

To celebrate Gardeners' World Magazine's Harvest Week, running from 12-18 September, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite easy harvest recipes. One of them is a salad - so isn't technically a recipe - but it's so good it's worth a mention

to grow fruit and veg. We have runner, French and broad beans, spinach, chard, courgettes and some wonderful raspberries originally grown by my granny.The runner, French and broad beans were heavily infested with blackfly when I visited two weeks ago. But

300g broad beans (shelled and cooked)100g peas4-5 large garlic cloves (crushed)*100g  crème fraiche2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilHandful of mintJuice of one lemonSalt and black pepper, freshly groundThrow all the ingredients, except crème fraiche

plans. Each plan contains an easy-to-follow growing calendar for 10 recommended crops. Simply choose which profile suits your circumstances best, and start sowing:• Allotmenteer• Container grower• Gourmet grower• New to the plot• Weekender

with questions on how best to overwinter it. He's hooked.Wary of low light levels and leggy seedlings, I've set up a small lamp over my heated propagator. It looks a bit like an SAD lamp for plants, but hopefully it will do the trick. Tomatoes and broad beans

and cooking crops. Do let us know in the comments section of this blog if there are any harvesting tips you'd like us to cover.Finally, do join me and a host of other experts on the ‘Grow Your Own’ Garden at BBC Gardeners' World Live (15-19 June 2011) for more