My garden is a little behind from last May. The weather has been unusual for California this year, with lots of rain and cold. We have planted all the tomatoes, eggplant and romano beans, but have not planted our peppers yet. Fresh peas are still on the vines because they were late coming out this year.
And of course we have been picking lots of fava beans on a daily basis.
Eating fava beans every day prompted me to write about them. We plant the variety of beans that we brought over from Calabria. The bean pods are very long compared to the ones that you find here at the farmers’ market. Typically fava bean pods are about six inches long with 5 or 6 beans inside, but our variety is 10 to 12 inches long with 8 to 10 beans inside the pod. Each plant produces lots of pods.
Here are the beans inside the pod.
The beans themselves have an outer skin that most people here in the United States always remove, making for lots more work. Calabrians usually leave them on when making pasta or minestra with fava beans but I do remove them for certain dishes. The recipe for a fava bean “spread” that I will show you is one of these. You can put it on top of bruschetta or serve it with grilled fish, toss it with pasta, or fold it into a risotto. It is so easy to make that you can just follow the photos below to make it at home.
To make enough for six people you will need about four pounds of fava bean pods. Shuck the beans from the pods, blanch the beans in boiling water for about a minute, put them in cold water to stop cooking, drain them and then remove the outer skin. Place them in a skillet with a good amount of olive oil, three cloves of minced garlic and a sprig of fresh thyme. Cook until soft for about 20 minutes, adding a little water if dry. Remove the thyme sprig and mash with a potato masher. Add some lemon juice to taste. If the puree is still dry add some good extra virgin olive oil at the end.
While it is still warm spread it on top of bruschetta and top it with some shavings of ricotta salata or pecorino.
The next time you go to the farmers’ market grab the fava beans because their season is short. Look for bright fresh pods. If they are wrinkly or brown don’t buy them. And remember to buy lots of pods. Five pounds of pods give you only about 2 pounds of shelled beans.
P.S. Here is a formal portrait of my chickens. They have finally lost their fear of open spaces and have become proper country chicks. This photo was as hard to take as one of kindergarten children (they just wont stand still). I managed to corral all four of them in one corner of the yard. They love being outside and eating greens. Can’t wait for that first egg!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, the chickens are lovely. I know how hard it is to get “not-stupid” looking chicken pictures.
On the other hand, I always feel as though I’m going to lose my Northern Californian credibility papers if I confess that I don’t like favas. I just. . . don’t. But your pictures are lovely.
I posted a fava bean spread this year too — have to find more and more things to do with all these favas! We’re just about done with them for the season here, and we just picked the last of our peas a few days ago. The goats will be very sad — they *love* the pods!
Your hens are gorgeous. I still have to take a photo of our new little “galletti americani” (una coppia bellissima!) but here is one of our other hens on Flickr. We got our first egg yesterday
I adore fava beans! One of my favorite ways to cook them is with fish that has been marinated with just a little oil, lemon and white wine. Your chickens are beautiful as well, unfortunately the hawks around my house took my chickens : ( I was really looking forward to some eggs. Now I am trying to convince my husband to get me a goat instead, let’s see the hawks take off with him! : )
Giovanna,
Have you thought of enclosing an area for the chickens? You could use simple netting for the top and it would keep the hawks away.
Michelle,
I never thought of making the fava spread with uncooked fava beans. I am going to give that a try (it will definitely save time cooking the fava beans). I like your chicken! When are you moving to the campagna?
Well, you have far more ambition than I do. I cook fava beans about once a year because of all that peeling. However, I have just discovered fava bean leaves! All the flavor and none of the work! Raw in salads or sauteed. They are delicious and turn bright green when cooked.
Rosetta – Yes, I had thought of it, but my husband works so much I don’t think he would have the time or energy to make one for me and I am not “skilled” that way. : ) Plus, there is something wonderfully comfortable for me to see chickens just roaming about, I love the leisure in which they stroll around the yard.
Michelle – I saw your chicken on your flickr site and what a beauty! I am jealous of all your adorable goats! I have been day dreaming here lately of selling all we have and moving home to Calabria, buying land,lots of goats and chickens and planting a massive garden. I am envious of the life change you made, I wish I could do as you did : )
Penni,
I ate few fava beans leaves in a salad this year when I had dinner at Commis in Oakland and I was actually surprised that you could eat them. I have never eaten my fava bean leaves or cooked them. I am now intrigued to give it a try. Do you saute them like spinach?
I have tons of leaves on the plants.
My fava beans are just now sprouting (it is Maine, after all). Your bruschetta looks beautiful. I will try it. Grazie.
I made the fava bean bruschetta this Memorial weekend, with beans straight from the farmers’ market. Delicious! And the quick boil made them very easy to peel (to speed up the process, I boiled them for two minutes, which also allowed me to reduce the sautee’ time). This recipe is a keeper. Next time I may try adding in freshly chopped basil at the end, instead of thyme.
Guarda deliziosi! Because my grandparents were from Calabria I inherited (along with some of my kids) the thalessemia trait. Several doctors warned me about eating fava beans because if you have thalessemia supposedly they can make you sick. Most recently it came up because my son is having some thalessemia issues (one of the doctors asked if the had eaten fava beans recently). For the record, I’ve eaten fava beans with no adverse effects.
Ciao Rosetta,
Quick question, the Fava bean plants in your pictures look different from what I have seen here in the U.S. is the seed from Italy, what variety fava’s are they?
My Mouth is watering for “na minestra”
Ciao,
Davide
Davide,
Yes we brought the fava seeds back from Calabria. They produce long pods compared to the short pods typically found here.
So is the seed available in the States? I know it is too late for this year but maybe next years planting?
Grazie
Davide
Davide,
I don’t know if these fava beans seeds are available in the States. We brought them over from Calabria.
To Davide-
I don’t know if you will see this at this point, but growitalian.com carries the fava seeds with the longer pods, several varieties and that is the only kind that I grow. This year (2012) he brought in some new varieties as well that I have planted and I will continue to save seeds as long as they are planted over 100 feet away from another variety they will not cross pollinate.
Cheers,
Dana
Rosetta, I love this web site! The pictures are so insiring! Never mind the increadable recipes… I am researching a cooking class I am teaching, and this next weeks theme is Calabia. Your information has been so valueable to me. I have only been as far south as Basilicata, Campania and Puglia (where my partner is from) but long to see the increadable Calabria. Thank you for your dedication to keeping this inceadable cuisine vibrant and alive! I will order your lovely book as I need it for my library. I have been very careful about purchasing cook books as I have many but this feels like a must have to enrich my world – food is my world!