spring fava (broad bean) bean salad, two ways
 when i was growing up, you could always tell what season it was from the smells of the different foods drifting through the house before dinner time. the very distinctive aroma of steam cooked fava beans was always a sure sign that spring had arrived. my mom used to steam these beans whole in their skin and serve them with fresh lemon or lime juice topped with crushed angelica seeds as a snack in the late afternoon. it was so much fun peeling away the outer skin, then popping the bean out of the inner skin to taste the delicious treat inside. the first crops of the season were so soft and delicate that you could eat them whole with their skins, but as the beans grew bigger they were bought in big crates and prepped (doubled peeled) and frozen for use in the winter months to make the famous "baghali polo" (fava bean rice with dill) which was often served with a lamb stew.
|
| cooked fava beans with lemon juice steam cook (in a deep pot with about 1.5 cups water at the bottom of the pot) about 2 pounds whole fava beans with a touch of salt for about 30-45 minutes (on low/med heat), serve with fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and agelica seeds |
 |
| the fava bean, clothed, and naked-up close |
i want to share recipes for two of my favorite, easy, and very green salads or sides for spring-you can serve these as "mezze" type appetizers, or as side dishes:
 |
| angelica seeds |
- fava beans (about 1.5 pounds)-double peeled
- 1 bunch fresh dill-finely chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- pepper
- juice of one large lemon
bring a pot of salted water to boil, add beans, bring to a boil for at most 1-2 minutes (you want them to stay green). drain and rinse with cold water. chop and add dill. add evoo, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. this is a perfect spring salad, but if you'd like it to be heartier, you can add:
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or israeli couscous)
- 2 ripe tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/2 shallot-very finely chopped
 |
| fava beans with dill |
 |
| fava beans, quinoa, & tomato salad with dill |