The Borlotti Bean

They're in the late summer/early autumn. The shell is speckled with magenta or mauve. Once shelled, these beans need to be cooked within a day or two (no soaking is required) and they're often jarred for using during the winter months. Sometimes they are made tossed with olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper, or flavored with pork fat.

Some call them "French horticulture beans" and they're known in the states as cranberry beans. But here in Umbria, they're the primary bean used to accompany meat or tuna, in stews or soups, and with vegetables.