In a few weeks fava beans will appear in Northwest farmers markets and specialty produce sections. If you have not experienced them before now, get ready; they are fabulous.

Wikipedia says Vicia Faba (fava bean is the common name) is one of the oldest (6000 BC) known plants and has been part of diets in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean for eons. It is also a common ground cover for farmers because it tolerates cold weather and provides vital nitrogen for soil.
Fava means broad bean in Italian, and they have been relished in Italy for generations. Americans were slow to embrace favas until recently when they became a darling of foodies and a hot restaurant item.

Like other broad beans, favas grow in protective pods that in their case happen to be beautifully lined with soft, white fuzz.

Step one is shelling the beans from the pods which are tough and need to be cut open with a sharp knife.

Step two is blanching and skinning the beans. Unless the beans are very young and tiny, the skin is thick, chalky tasting skin and needs to be removed.

Blanching makes that easy. Immediately after blanching, before removing the skins, dip the beans into an ice bath to stop the cooking and set the brilliant green color.

A small slit cut into the skin will enable you to squeeze the beans gently from the skin without crushing them.

Steps one and two take about 40 minutes.

Now the beans are ready to sauté, process into a spread or include in a recipe. You can use them in another recipe later as they also freeze well for up to a month if they are packaged carefully. When morel season arrives you may also like to try this recipe.

Sautéed Fava Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients

20-24 fava bean pods
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbs. unsalted butter
3 tbs. grated lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, strained
Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Remove fava beans from pods. Blanch, dip in ice bath, drain and remove skins. Set aside
2. In a skillet large enough to hold all the beans, heat olive oil and quickly cook garlic until it is soft. Add butter and zest, and simmer for 1 minute.
3. Add prepared fava beans and sauté until beans are soft enough to prick easily with a fork. Drizzle lemon juice over beans and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
   

   Fava Beans - Ready to Eat