Bob Cannard's Fava Beans

Fava beans are an old world food which have become one of the mainstays of Spring here in California, both among farmers for their benefits as a cover crop and also among cooks who realize that they are worth the work to get them. Very young favas look like a smooth rounded string bean and can be deep fried whole or sautéed. They taste very much like a green pepper. A simple little hors d’oeuvre is to grill the whole pods and just eat the steamed beans, skin and all. Larger, more developed pods are opened and then the actual bean is dropped into boiling water for a minute or two, then immediately plunged into ice water. The skin around the bean can be slipped off, making the bean is ready for its final preparation. Bob often likes to use the discarded skins from the bean as a little hors d’oeuvre by sautéing them over medium high heat in a generous amount of olive oil, adding a little cumin, garlic, and any fresh herb on hand. They become little crunchy and savory morsels that leave you looking forward to the beans that are sure to follow.

The leaves from the favas make a good addition to any vegetable side dish or stir fry. It is best to choose tender young leaves without too much stem.

Young Fava Bean Crostini:
3 pounds fava beans
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1 green garlic or garlic clove
Fresh Herbs
Parmesan cheese

Peel the beans from the pod and blanch them in boiling water for a minute or two, placing them in ice water immediately to stop the cooking. Pierce the outer skin of the bean with your thumb nail and slide or pop the beans out of the skin. Either mince finely or pound in a mortar one clove of garlic or a ½ piece of green garlic with a pinch of salt to make a paste, adding about a tablespoon of olive oil. . Then pulse the fava beans in a food processor or mash in batches with a mortar and pestle, adding several more tablespoons of olive oil Stir the paste into the mashed favas, adding some Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lemon zest, mint, and marjoram are also good additions. Serve on toasted or grilled slices of your favorite French or Italian bread or as a side to fish or lamb. More mature, starchy beans will require 15 minutes of simmering with the green garlic, olive oil and enough water to just reach the beans. Allow to cool and drain, but reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid to add to the puree if it is too tight. Proceed as above, adding lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and herbs as desired.

Braised Fava Beans and Green Garlic:
3 pounds fava beans
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Fresh herbs
1 large or 2-4 small green garlic

Peel fava beans from the pod and put them into boiling water for a minute or two. Immediately plunge them into ice water and remove when completely cool. Using your thumb nail, make a slit in the outer skin and pop the beans out. This can be done several hours ahead of time and it is best to keep the peeled beans covered on a bowl of ice in the refrigerator. They can be done a day ahead, but are better the same day.

In the meantime, trim the tough outer layers of green garlic. If the roots look long and white, soak them in several changes of water until clean. Slice the green garlic either straight across or on the bias about 1/16” thick, using primarily the whit end of the plant.. I like to use more of the green than most people, but it adds color and another element of sweetness.

Place the ½ cup of green garlic plus the roots (if using them) in a shallow pan with ½ cup water and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sometimes I add a sprig of rosemary or thyme or sage , ½ teaspoon of salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans and equal amounts of additional water and olive oil to almost cover the beans. Cover and simmer for another five minutes. More mature beans will be starchier and require several more minutes to coax their sweetness and doneness. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste and any additional herbs of choice.