Teamwork to shell those fava beans
The heat of July has moved in and zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant have taken the place of the fava beans in our vegetable garden. Springtime is fava bean season – and they’re now in the freezer.
Fava beans in a field near Assisi
I pulled a bag out this morning to defrost for a favorite dish: fava bean with potatoes and mint. Happy thoughts of shelling those beans with Cara (who helped me pick them) and Judy and Mary Alice, who joined in tasting the goodness at dinner in our farmhouse afterwards.
Cara tackles the fava beans
I promised to share the recipe with them. I’ll share it here now with everyone: Fava Beans with Potatoes and Mint
Fave and potatoes with mint
Slice a purple onion and sprinkle with about 2 tsp salt. Let sit about 20 mins. Bring about 2 qts of salted water to a boil and drop in about 1 -1/2 lbs of fresh fava beans, cooking til al dente but not soft. Drain. Boil 5 or 6 potatoes (skins on) in salted water. Peel when cool. Slice with a fork – or mash. Finely dice a generous handful of fresh mint. Mix potatoes, fava beans, onion and mint, adding olive oil and wine vinegar. Adjust salt as needed (some already on the onion!) How much olive oil (extra virgin only, please!), vinegar, salt? Q.B. (“quanto basta”, ie, “as much as you need”).
*And if you don’t feel like cooking but have fresh fava beans? Just munch them with an aged pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese).
Buon appetito!
Read more on Cara and her Assisi adventures
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Fava beans and mint – with vino rosso
Annie, thank you SO much for sharing this delicious recipe. Two key ingredients are missing, though- fava beans from your garden – and YOU! Loved the photos, such a fun evening! Grazie mille!