Savory Seattle

I love spring! Flower buds are popping open on trees and shrubs and brightly colored spring flowers are poking up in gardens everywhere. Spring also means that Farmer’s markets are going to get a lot more fun.

One of my favorite food finds is the fava bean, only available fresh for a short period of time in the spring. Popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, fava beans – also known as broad beans, English beans or horse beans – have a rich, buttery flavor. Fava beans are also prized in Italy. Referred to as carne di poveri or ‘poor man’s meat’ owing to their high protein content, fava beans are often eaten raw with young pecorino cheese.

Easily found at Farmer’s markets, these days they can be found more and more often at traditional markets too. These shell beans come in large pods - think Jack and the Beanstalk - as I’m sure this is the only bean suitable to grow such a giant beanstalk.

Although fava beans require a bit of work to shell and peel, these delicacies are well worth the effort. Delicious in salads, soups, risottos and pastas, they also pair deliciously with other spring vegetables like fresh asparagus peas.

Selecting
Look for soft, pale green pods packed with pale green beans.

Storing
Store the beans, still in their pods, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to several days.

Preparing
Prior to cooking, fresh fava beans must be shelled and removed from their pods. Shell them as you would peas by first snapping off the stem and pulling away the tough string on the side of the pod. Then pop each pod open by pressing your thumbnails along its seam. Unless they have been picked while still quite young and small, the skin that covers each shelled bean must also be removed before eating, as it is tough and bitter tasting.

To remove the skins, drop the shelled beans into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain and chill in an ice water bath. Pinch each bean opposite the end where it was attached to the pod and squeeze; the bean should pop free.

Fava beans are especially tasty in a simple sauté with fresh garlic, onions and fennel:

Ingredients
3 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fennel
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/3 cup vegetable stock, chicken stock or broth
Salt to taste
Fresh shaved Parmesan (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)

Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and sauté about 6 minutes. Onions should be lightly golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; don’t let the garlic brown. Add the fava beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, shaking the pan gently from time to time, until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Salt to taste. Gently stir in the cheese or fresh dill and serve immediately.

For a few more delicious ideas, check out the recipes on Simple Recipes. How do you like to incorporate fava beans into your springtime meals?