Fava beans are available at our Farmers Market now. I got some last weekend and they were great - nice firm pods, plenty of beans inside.
Not many people know what to do with fava beans so they go untouched. They're easy to clean and cook - here's how I do it:
You need:
Prepping the beans
First, shell the beans from the fava pods. To open the pods, run the edge of a paring knife along the seam, cutting away the tough "zipper-like" edge so that the pod halves come apart.
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil, then add salt. The water should be salty, like the ocean.
At the same time in another bowl, make ice water; set aside, but near where your boiling water is.
Add the shelled beans to the boiling water cook for 3 minutes, then remove the bean pods and immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop them from cooking.
Let the beans cool, then remove them from the pods, peeling the outer skin away from each of them. Set aside
Sautéing the beans
Over medium heat, melt together butter and olive oil, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes. (Your house will smell amazing!)
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Enjoy!
Note: Once you've mastered this basic fava bean prep technique, you can add other items to them like onions, fresh tomatoes, or even smoked salmon, all of which can be found at the Castro Valley Farmers Market each week.
