Spring is in the air – finally! This has been an extremely long, wet, winter and I for one am thrilled to finally see the sun shining and warmer temperatures. One of my favorite spring foods is fava beans. When they are young and tender they are creamy, earthy, and sultry. Lumpy and gangling, not unlike a teenager, this ugly ducking turns into a beautiful ingredient. They are the perfect way to say goodbye to the cold, wet weather and celebrate the arrival of sunny days! I never particularly liked beans; I mean they were OK, but nothing special. Then one night a few years ago, my husband and I had dinner at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. We are so lucky to live nearby and we go occasionally as a treat. That night the amuse-bouche (amooz – boosh) was a crostini topped with a fava bean spread. One of the best things about eating at Chez Panisse is trying foods you normally would never eat. So, with a little trepidation I tried it. I was transformed! It was bright with a touch of lemon, both smooth and crunchy at the same time. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. I went home determined to recreate that bite.
After a few trials and errors, I found a recipe by Paula Wolfert, an expert on Mediterranean foods and author of such books as Mediterranean Grains and Greens, The Cooking of SouthWest France, and The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook. The recipe was simple to make with easy to find ingredients. The only cumbersome aspect is prepping the fava beans themselves, but after doing it once, it gets easier. Snap the stem end off and pull the string down the side – nature’s zipper! Then either run your thumb down the pod and pop the beans out or squeeze at one end and press the beans out the end. Although not as fresh tasting, if you don’t want to deal with the time and effort to prep the beans, you can use frozen favas to make this treat all year-long. Enjoy!
- French baguette, sliced into 3/8-inch rounds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse grain sea salt
- 2 lbs un-shelled fresh young fava beans (young ones are tender and sweet)
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- Fresh lime or lemon juice to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried basil, or about 4 fresh, large leaves, sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Dash of paprika or to taste
- Wedge of Parmesan cheese
- Lemon wedges for garnish
- For the Crostini: Place the bread rounds on a baking sheet. Brush one side with some olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in a preheated 400ºF. oven until lightly golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip pieces over and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and flip back over so the oiled side is up. Sprinkle with a little salt if desired. Set aside. These can be made a day ahead; store in an airtight plastic bag or container.
- For the Fava Beans: Set a steamer basked in the bottom of a large saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water. Steam fava pods for about 5 minutes. Immediately cool under running water. Remove white-covered beans from pods and then peel and drop bright green favas into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add shallot, 2 tbsp oil and the water. Cook, stirring, until favas are soft and tender, about 2 minutes.
- Pour beans and liquid into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano, cumin, and paprika. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside to cool.
- Spread some on each crispy crostini. With a vegetable peeler shave a little Pecorino or Parmesan on top and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish tray with lemon wedges and serve.
- If not serving immediately, pack spread into a small container, cover with a layer of olive oil, and seal with a lid. Refrigerate. The spread improves with an overnight rest and will keep up to four days in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before topping crostini and serving.
- Yield: 1 cup, about 6 to 8 servings
