We grow fava beans as a cover crop during the winter. They grow tall, fixing nitrogen in the soil. In the spring, they produce long pods full of beans. These fava plants have a crimson blossom.
It’s a bit of work to get the beans out of the pod because the pods are soft and spongy. Once you have the beans, you boil them for a couple minutes. They are bright green, like lima beans. While they can be eaten as is, the outer peel is astringent. So, you should remove the skins unless the beans are quite small. It’s tedious work.
This time of year, feel free to do me a fava and come over to tear open the pods and then help peel the many beans. There’s plenty of good things to make with fava beans but the two-step process of preparation takes time.
I’ve made a fava bean spread that we liked a lot. In a food processor, puree the peeled, cooked beans with olive oil, lemon and garlic to make a nice paste. I served the fava puree last night as a small, colorful side with bread or crackers. Fava beans can also be added to salads or with cooked vegetables over rice.
