The fava bean, Vicia faba, was the bean of Europe before contact with the New World.  It resembles such shell beans as butter beans and lima beans, but it belongs to a separate branch of the pea family.  

The bright green, sweet and tender beans form inside 5-7 inch-long paler green, slightly hairy pods.  Fava beans require a two-step preparation for cooking.  They must first be shucked from their pods, and then the beans themselves should be peeled.  The skin has a bitterness similar to walnut skins and the tannin in red wine.

After shucking the beans, drop them into boiling water for one minute, to tenderize and loosen the skins.  Drain and plunge them into ice-cold water to stop further cooking.  Drain.  Use your thumbnail to break open the skin, and squeeze the bean between the thumb and forefinger; the two-lobed, bright green kidney-shaped bean inside will pop right out.

Fava Bean Crostini

• 1 cup       fava beans, shelled

• 4-6 stalks asparagus, chopped & lightly cooked

• ½             avocado, chopped

• 2 T           olive oil

• 2 T           onion, minced

• 1 clove      garlic

• 2 T            parmesan, grated

• 1 tsp         fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp         savory

• sea salt

• fresh ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden.  Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the fava beans and half the asparagus.  Mash by hand lightly with the Parmesan cheese - you want a chunky texture, not a paste.  

Fold in the remaining asparagus, avocado, savory and salt & pepper.

 Serve on crusty country bread that has been toasted and brushed lightly with olive oil.  

Fava beans can also be stirred into any spring pasta dish, risotto, soup, stew and any dish containing fresh peas.

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