THIS JUST IN

PEAK SEASON
A favorite in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, fresh fava beans are a summer treat not to be missed. Also known as broad beans, these legumes are prized for their creamy texture and buttery taste.
MATTHEW KADEY, RD

EDITED BY Amy Spitalnick

HOW TO SELECT & STORE

Choose firm, glossy pods that are free of splits or noticeable black spots, advises Ariel Dillon of Redwood Empire Farm in Santa Rosa, Calif. A pod should feel heavy for its size. Refrigerate pods until ready to use, which is best done in a few days. Fava beans can be frozen after briefly blanching them, and removing the skins from the individual beans, Dillon says.

fava beans
PREP TIPS
To remove the bitter-tasting outer skin, parboil favas for 2 minutes, drain, and then plunge in ice water; the skin will slip right off. Or lightly oil the pods, and place on the grill for 10 minutes, turning once, so the beans steam inside their pods, imparting a smoky flavor; remove the beans from the grill, open the pods, and easily remove the skins. For recipes, youll need about 21/2 pounds of fava pods to yield 1 cup of beans.

TRY THIS!

Combine boiled beans

with tomato, corn, red onion, jalapeo chile, parsley, and lime juice for a succotash salad. Simmer favas with peas, veggie stock, mint, and chives, and pure for a fab green soup. Steam the beans until tender; mash together with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and cayenne pepper for a crudits dip or spread. Make Minted Fava Bean Salad (recipe, p. 50).

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PORNCHAI MITTONGTARE

June | 2011 | vegetariantimes.com

+TRY THE KUKU-YE SHIVID BAQALI (FRESH FAVA BEAN AND DILL WEED KUKU) AT VEGETARIANTIMES.COM.

vegetariantimes.com | March | 2009

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