bonnieinholland
Well-known member
I was at the market downtown today and saw fava beans for this first time this season. Hooray!! So I bought a kilo and a half (3.3 pounds) and can't wait to eat them. Do any folks have some favorite recipes using fresh fava beans? I would love to try some new ones this season.
Cheers, Bonnie
PS Here are a couple of my favorites, both tried and true:
FAVA BEAN CROSTINI
Fava beans are bright-green-colored Italian beans with a very unusual, almost bitter, taste. They admittedly take a huge amount of work since you have to shell the beans out of a huge pod, briefly boil the beans, and then peel off the tough outer shell. The work, however, pays off in spades for the wonderful flavor, which cannot be matched by frozen or preserved favas. Once the beans have been prepared, the recipe itself is a snap. By the way, as to the wine selection.....this recipe pairs well with Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine), Pinot Grigio (an Italian white), or (as last resort) a young Chianti Classico or Dolcetto.
Ingredients
2 lbs (1 kilo) fresh favas, shelled
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus additional shaved cheese for serving
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh mint
2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, rinsed and patted dry in a paper towel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette, sliced
1 clove garlic, halved
1. Fill a bowl with water and ice. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add favas to boiling water and cook for 45 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on their size. (Try not to overcook the beans -- it is easy to do!) Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into cold water or an ice bath; drain well. To peel, use a fingernail to make a small slit in the skin, then gently squeeze the bean out into a bowl.
2. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine fava beans, olive oil, grated cheese, mint and anchovy, and process into a smooth purée. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Broil or toast sliced bread. Brush slices with extra virgin olive oil on top side and then rub with a garlic half. Spread purée on toasts and garnish with shaved pecorino.
Recipe adapted from the Union Square Cafe, via the New York Times website.
PASTA WITH FAVA BEANS, BASIL AND MINT
Ingredients
2 oz (60 g) bacon or pancetta, sliced into thin strips
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 plump cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) prepared fava beans (see note below on preparation)
½ lb (250 gms) garganelli, or a small-sized shell egg pasta
½ cup (125 ml) non-fat quark or plain yogurt
1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 oz (60 g) fresh pecorino romano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup finely grated)
3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh mint
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large non-stick wok (or other pan), saute the bacon until it reaches the crunchy stage. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Wipe out the wok with a paper towel, leaving about 1 tsp (5 ml) of bacon fat remaining in the wok.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the wok and saute on medium heat until softened. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.) Add the fava beans and cooked bacon to the wok. Stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. Mix the quark or yogurt and lemon juice together in a bowl.
4. Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water. Drain, saving about ½ cup of the pasta water.
5. Warm up the fava bean mixture if it has cooled down. Off heat, add the pasta and quark/lemon juice to the wok. Mix thoroughly till the pasta is coated. Add the cheese and fresh herbs. Stir again until thoroughly mixed. Add pasta water as necessary to make a smooth cheese sauce.
Serves two as a main course with a big green salad.
Recipe by Bonnie, with inspiration from the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook, by Alice Waters.
Note on Fava Beans: Prepare the fava beans as detailed in the Fava Bean Crostini recipe above. About 1¾ lbs (or ¾ kilo) fava beans in the pod will yield approximately 1 cup of shelled, ready-to-go favas. If you are a fava bean lover, you might want to increase the amount of fava beans in this recipe!
Cheers, Bonnie
PS Here are a couple of my favorites, both tried and true:
FAVA BEAN CROSTINI
Fava beans are bright-green-colored Italian beans with a very unusual, almost bitter, taste. They admittedly take a huge amount of work since you have to shell the beans out of a huge pod, briefly boil the beans, and then peel off the tough outer shell. The work, however, pays off in spades for the wonderful flavor, which cannot be matched by frozen or preserved favas. Once the beans have been prepared, the recipe itself is a snap. By the way, as to the wine selection.....this recipe pairs well with Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine), Pinot Grigio (an Italian white), or (as last resort) a young Chianti Classico or Dolcetto.
Ingredients
2 lbs (1 kilo) fresh favas, shelled
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus additional shaved cheese for serving
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh mint
2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, rinsed and patted dry in a paper towel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette, sliced
1 clove garlic, halved
1. Fill a bowl with water and ice. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add favas to boiling water and cook for 45 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on their size. (Try not to overcook the beans -- it is easy to do!) Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into cold water or an ice bath; drain well. To peel, use a fingernail to make a small slit in the skin, then gently squeeze the bean out into a bowl.
2. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine fava beans, olive oil, grated cheese, mint and anchovy, and process into a smooth purée. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Broil or toast sliced bread. Brush slices with extra virgin olive oil on top side and then rub with a garlic half. Spread purée on toasts and garnish with shaved pecorino.
Recipe adapted from the Union Square Cafe, via the New York Times website.
PASTA WITH FAVA BEANS, BASIL AND MINT
Ingredients
2 oz (60 g) bacon or pancetta, sliced into thin strips
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 plump cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) prepared fava beans (see note below on preparation)
½ lb (250 gms) garganelli, or a small-sized shell egg pasta
½ cup (125 ml) non-fat quark or plain yogurt
1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 oz (60 g) fresh pecorino romano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup finely grated)
3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh mint
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large non-stick wok (or other pan), saute the bacon until it reaches the crunchy stage. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Wipe out the wok with a paper towel, leaving about 1 tsp (5 ml) of bacon fat remaining in the wok.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the wok and saute on medium heat until softened. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.) Add the fava beans and cooked bacon to the wok. Stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. Mix the quark or yogurt and lemon juice together in a bowl.
4. Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water. Drain, saving about ½ cup of the pasta water.
5. Warm up the fava bean mixture if it has cooled down. Off heat, add the pasta and quark/lemon juice to the wok. Mix thoroughly till the pasta is coated. Add the cheese and fresh herbs. Stir again until thoroughly mixed. Add pasta water as necessary to make a smooth cheese sauce.
Serves two as a main course with a big green salad.
Recipe by Bonnie, with inspiration from the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook, by Alice Waters.
Note on Fava Beans: Prepare the fava beans as detailed in the Fava Bean Crostini recipe above. About 1¾ lbs (or ¾ kilo) fava beans in the pod will yield approximately 1 cup of shelled, ready-to-go favas. If you are a fava bean lover, you might want to increase the amount of fava beans in this recipe!