Fava beans

by Sierra on July 6, 2009 · 16 comments

Fava beans, originally uploaded by MzMuze.

My garden has produced a small crop of fava beans. I grew these for their value as a soil soother in a bed that had tomatoes growing in it for many years. Fava beans and peas fix nitrogen in the soil, which tomatoes tend to deplete, so they make a good crop rotation.

I didn’t really expect to get food out of them, but now I have two pints of fava beans sitting in my fridge. What should I do with them?

Growing in the Garden: First Harvest

Rowan

Ful!

[Reply]
Rowan

Ful!

[Reply]
Molly

I love favas! Sometimes I just eat them with butter and lemon and pepper and salt, or in stews/stir fries. But I’ve been meaning to try them grilled.

[Reply]
Molly

I love favas! Sometimes I just eat them with butter and lemon and pepper and salt, or in stews/stir fries. But I’ve been meaning to try them grilled.

[Reply]
Chip

I hear they go well with liver and a nice Chianti.

[Reply]
Chip

I hear they go well with liver and a nice Chianti.

[Reply]
Ellen

They don’t eat liver, so I was just going to suggest the Chianti

[Reply]
Ellen

They don’t eat liver, so I was just going to suggest the Chianti

[Reply]
Sarah T

Totally with butter and salt and maybe asparagus if you can get fresh. Do not forget they need to be shelled TWICE, though!

[Reply]
Sarah T

Totally with butter and salt and maybe asparagus if you can get fresh. Do not forget they need to be shelled TWICE, though!

[Reply]
http://childwild.wordpress.com/ Sierra

I hear that, and then I see the recipe Molly sent for grilling ‘em, which doesn’t say anything at all about shelling. Maybe the second shelling is optional?

[Reply]
http://childwild.wordpress.com/ Sierra

I hear that, and then I see the recipe Molly sent for grilling ‘em, which doesn’t say anything at all about shelling. Maybe the second shelling is optional?

[Reply]
Martin

Here in Poland, we just boil them and eat them straight with a little bit of salt. Amazingly awesome snack.

[Reply]
Martin

Here in Poland, we just boil them and eat them straight with a little bit of salt. Amazingly awesome snack.

[Reply]
John

dip made of oily foods from fibrous husks

1 qt unshelled favas
2 heads garlic*
4 artichokes*
1 lemon
olive oil, salt and pepper

* Unless you are both alone and of a sober and abstemious temperament it can be prudent to make extra here.

instructions:

1) Put on a couple gallons of very hot tap water, a couple oz. of salt and a tsp of baking soda to boil.

2) Cut the tough stemmy and/or dangerous spiny parts off of the artichokes (while they’re still cool enough to touch).

3) Chop the stem ends off of the garlic heads, making sure that the big cloves are well-exposed. Drop them in some olive oil.

4) Submerge the artichokes in the boiling water and leave them there for 45 minutes to an hour.

5) Pull the garlics out of the oil and wrap them up tightly without letting them drain. Put them in a 400 F oven on a baking sheet with a lip for the oil for 45 minutes to an hour.

6) Shell the favas.

7) Blanch the favas for a couple minutes.
Shell the favas again.

9) Cook the favas for about 20 minutes over medium heat with plenty of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Shake the pan when you think of it.

10) Pour a tablespoon of vinegar into the artichokes’ water, wait a minute and then pull them out to drain and cool.

11) Pull the garlic out, unwrap it, and let it cool.

12) Enjoy some delicious artichoke petals. However, ignore what your body is telling you, and resist falling upon the artichoke hearts like a ravenous stoat. Instead, scrape off the choke and set them aside.

13) When the favas are quite soft, put them in a food processor or blender. Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves, discarding the husks. Add the artichoke hearts and half the juice of the lemon, being careful to avoid the seeds, which are bitter if blended. Add too much olive oil.

14) Blend for a long time. Add more olive oil occasionally when the mix starts to look dry. This takes a while, but it’s really key — keep at it or you’ll have wasted your time. It’s done when it’s smooth like butter.

15) Season with lots of salt and pepper, and also more lemon juice if it seems like it might help. (The salt will dissolve better in the lemon juice than in the oily stuff.) Blend a bit more.

16) Dip crackers into it.

17) I know, right?

[Reply]
John

dip made of oily foods from fibrous husks

1 qt unshelled favas
2 heads garlic*
4 artichokes*
1 lemon
olive oil, salt and pepper

* Unless you are both alone and of a sober and abstemious temperament it can be prudent to make extra here.

instructions:

1) Put on a couple gallons of very hot tap water, a couple oz. of salt and a tsp of baking soda to boil.

2) Cut the tough stemmy and/or dangerous spiny parts off of the artichokes (while they’re still cool enough to touch).

3) Chop the stem ends off of the garlic heads, making sure that the big cloves are well-exposed. Drop them in some olive oil.

4) Submerge the artichokes in the boiling water and leave them there for 45 minutes to an hour.

5) Pull the garlics out of the oil and wrap them up tightly without letting them drain. Put them in a 400 F oven on a baking sheet with a lip for the oil for 45 minutes to an hour.

6) Shell the favas.

7) Blanch the favas for a couple minutes.
Shell the favas again.

9) Cook the favas for about 20 minutes over medium heat with plenty of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Shake the pan when you think of it.

10) Pour a tablespoon of vinegar into the artichokes’ water, wait a minute and then pull them out to drain and cool.

11) Pull the garlic out, unwrap it, and let it cool.

12) Enjoy some delicious artichoke petals. However, ignore what your body is telling you, and resist falling upon the artichoke hearts like a ravenous stoat. Instead, scrape off the choke and set them aside.

13) When the favas are quite soft, put them in a food processor or blender. Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves, discarding the husks. Add the artichoke hearts and half the juice of the lemon, being careful to avoid the seeds, which are bitter if blended. Add too much olive oil.

14) Blend for a long time. Add more olive oil occasionally when the mix starts to look dry. This takes a while, but it’s really key — keep at it or you’ll have wasted your time. It’s done when it’s smooth like butter.

15) Season with lots of salt and pepper, and also more lemon juice if it seems like it might help. (The salt will dissolve better in the lemon juice than in the oily stuff.) Blend a bit more.

16) Dip crackers into it.

17) I know, right?

[Reply]