Fresh fava beans take a bit of work on the front end, but their silky-smooth texture and incredible flavor are worth it. Those of you with an Instagram account can access the story highlight in our profile that shows step-by-step preparation: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17877731098348306/ If you do not have an Instagram account, here is a link to a site with instructions: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-pick-clean-and-prepare-84710 Once they are shelled, you can simply add them to salads, pasta, rice or vegetable dishes.
Garlic and Dill Fava Bean Salad (Bagula) Savuer.com Serves 4 to 6
1 lb. small fava beans (recipe called for dry beans, but I think sub. Fresh is better) 1⁄4 cup olive oil 3 tbsp. minced parsley 3 tbsp. minced dill 1 tsp. ground cumin 4 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste Juice of 1 lemon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Blanch and peel fava beans. Drain beans, and transfer to a bowl; add oil, parsley, dill, cumin, garlic, juice, and salt and pepper; let sit for 30 minutes to meld flavors before serving.
Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
“A simple salad for a spring brunch. Serve it with good bread and that’s it.”
Serves 4 1/2 cup quinoa 1/2 lb shelled fava beans 1 medium lemons 1 small ripe avocados 1 garlic cloves, crushed 3 to 4 breakfast radishes, halved and quartered lengthwise ½ cup basil leaves 1 ½ tbsp ground cumin 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil Pinch of chile flakes Salt and black pepper
Place the quinoa in a saucepan with plenty of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain in a fine sieve, rinse under cold water and leave to dry.
Throw the fava beans into a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and immediately drain in a colander. Refresh with cold water and leave to dry. Then gently press each bean with your fingers to remove the skins; discard these.
Take the lemon and use a small sharp knife to slice off the top and base. Stand on a chopping board and cut down the sides, following the natural curve to remove skin and white pith. Over a large mixing bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the individual segments into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl with the segments.
Peel and stone the avocado. Slice thinly, then add to the bowl and toss to cover in the lemon juice. Once the quinoa is dry, transfer it to the bowl. Add the fava beans, garlic, radishes, half the basil, the cumin olive oil, chile flakes and some salt and pepper. Toss very gently, without breaking the avocado. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you wish. Plate and garnish with the remaining cress.
Frying oil (for deep-frying) Remove shells from fava beans, rinse and drain. In a food processor, mix the beans, spring onion, garlic, salt, pepper, water and sesame oil. Shape small patties, about one large tbsp. of mixture at a time. In a medium-sized pan, heat oil (approx. 1 inch high). You can test if the oil is ready by throwing in a small piece of bread – it should sizzle and turn golden within 45 seconds. Fry patties by batches (about 4 each time) for 3 minutes (or until they become golden brown). Drain on kitchen towel before serving. Drizzle with chopped scallions.
Bruschetta with garlicky fava bean puree, ricotta, and mint From River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
1 pound shelled fava beans 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil 1 to 2 chopped garlic scapes 2 ounces ricotta salata Chopped mint
Cook fava beans in boiling water until tender.
Drain, and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, pop the beans out of their skins. Melt the butter with the oil over very low heat, add the garlic scapes, and warm gently for a minute or two. Add the beans to the garlicky butter and then blitz to a coarse puree in a food processor. Add a little more butter if needed. Pile the warm puree onto the hot toasted bread, prepared as above, then scatter over the ricotta salata, a trickle of extra-virgin olive oil, and some chopped mint.
Grilled Fava Beans From savuer.com I heard first hand from a CSA member that made grilled favas that they were very good and they also found them a little bit less involved. 2 lb. fava beans in the pod 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 lemon, halved 2 oz. Parmesan
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Put favas into a large bowl, drizzle with 3 tbsp. oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill favas, turning occasionally, until charred and soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer favas to a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze lemon juice over the top. Season with salt and, using a peeler,
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1pounds fava beans, shelled 1/4 cup soft goat cheese (2 ounces) 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon water, plus more if needed 1/2 bunch radishes, halved if large
Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook fava beans until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and transfer to ice-water bath. Let cool. Drain, and peel beans. Pulse beans, goat cheese, oil, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor until just combined but still chunky, about 6 or 7 times. Stir in water. Add an additional tablespoon water if mixture is too thick. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with pepper just before serving. Serve with radishes.
Chilled Fava Bean Soup From Chez Panisse Vegetables By Alice Waters
1 pound fava beans 1 small onion or ½ medium one 1 clove garlic ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 2 cups chicken stock Rosemary oil to garnish (recipe follows) Shell the beans, parboil for about 1 minute, cool, and then pop the beans out of their skins. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Sauté the onion in the olive oil until quite soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes more, and season with salt. Add the fava beans, cook for 2 more minutes, and then add just enough stock to cover the beans. Chill the remaining stock. Cook the fava beans until tender. Puree in a blender until smooth, adding the extra cooled stock until you reach a consistency you like. Cool the soup quickly in an ice bath. Season to taste. Serve in chilled bowls, garnished with a thread of olive oil infused with fresh rosemary. Serves 4 Rosemary oil Puree the rosemary leaves in a blender with an equal volume of pure, light-bodied olive oil.