I know Scarlet Runners as a dried bean--a really, really good one! I didn't know or hadn't thought about eating the pods. I do like that little gizmo, inno. My dad was a wonderful gardener and grew different kinds of beans. I wonder if I ate them and didn't know it. Any gardeners in NC grow these?

I love runner beans and think of them as being very English, since it was when we lived in London that I first encountered them. Generally, you slice them very thinly before cooking. There is, in fact, a special tool for slicing runner beans (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/product/13810). I don't have one and instead slice them thinly on the bias. Here's the basics of how I prepare them:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9755_braised_runner_beans

Scarlet runner beans! They are easy to grow and have nice flowers--so nice that when I was in college we grew them in the stairway, from floor to floor. Thomas Jefferson grew them too! Most people's general advice is to treat them like any fresh or dried shell bean. But are you looking at using the whole pod?

This is a kind of Lima bean? I'm guessing here..

Soaked boiled, cooked and cooled.

Mix with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. For a simple dressing.
Add in some diced red onion (optional) and cubes of feta cheese before serving.
It's better the next day after it's marinated.

10,000 recipes on Food52 and can you believe there's only *1* with runner beans? It sounds yummy though and it comes from KitchenButterfly, one of the most prolific contributors on Food52. Take a look:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/9464_couscous_salad