Fresh Fava Bean Puree

I have literally been thinking about fresh fava beans for months.   They pop like popcorn into my brain every so often.  Last winter I was watching the Food Network and Giada had a recipe for pureed fava beans that really sang to me.  I used to avoid the gigantic pods at farmer's markets because I had no idea what to do with them.  But in the spirit of culinary adventures...Giada was my inspiration.  I find that the more adventuresome I am in the kitchen, the more I am in life.  So why not start with a green pea pod?  Who know what will happen next.

So yesterday morning I headed to the Ballard farmer's market in search of fresh favas.  I located a friendly stand and started slowly slipping pod after pod into my bag.  They were much softer and delicate than I expected.  They felt like they had just been pulled off the plant.  And an even bigger surprise was the fleece-like layer inside each pod, cushioning the beans. 

It was a beautiful sunny day, so I sat on the front porch carefully de-podding each bean.  What a brilliantly protective traveling case for the beans.  And every pod was different.  Some have four beans like the picture above.  A few had one giant bean next to a few tiny ones.  Others had three medium sized beans.  It was a little adventure seeing what each one would hold.

They look suspiciously similar to lima beans.  So if you can't find fava beans, frozen limas would be a close second for this spread.  I made the crackers pictured above, which will be the next post.  They are super easy, and very satisfying to make.  I also think a little bit of bacon might add a nice salty hint to this spread too.  So if you have some, try it and let me know if I need to make it again.

Fresh Fava Bean Puree

Adapted from Giada At Home and The Book of Tapas

Yields about 1/2 cup

I did a combination of Giada's recipe with another one from the The Book of Tapas.  I wanted a little more flavoring than the mint.  So a combination of sauteed onion and fresh garlic really upped the ante.  Her recipe called for boiling the beans in chicken stock.  I didn't have any on hand, so I just used the pan from the sauteed onions for the boiling water, and it flavored the beans quite nicely.  Mint seemed to be in every recipe with fava beans, and I happened to have some from a fruit salad, so that worked out just nicely.  But feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs.

1 tsp olive oil

1/3 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup water

Salt

~ 15 fava bean pods (1 cup shelled fava beans)

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced

Salt and pepper

Remaining water from boiling (1-2 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat a medium saute pan on low to medium heat.  Add 1 tsp olive oil to pan and heat for a few minutes.  Scrape the onions into the hot pan and saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. 

Remove onions from pan and transfer to a food processor bowl.  For added onion flavor, use the same pan for the rest of the recipe.  Add water, a sprinkle of salt and fava beans to onioned pan.  Bring to a boil and cook beans until tender, about 10 minutes.  Do a taste test to determine doneness.  With a cup placed under a strainer, pour beans out of pan.  Keep the onion enhanced water for the puree.  Rinse the beans with cold water to cool them off a bit. 

Add the beans to the food processor along with the garlic, mint, salt and pepper.  Pulse until blended.  Scrape sides.  Drizzle the 1-2 Tbsp reserved water and 1 Tbsp olive oil through the feed tube while processor is still on.  Blend until smooth.  Adjust any seasonings.  Serve on top of chicken or fish, as a dip for crackers or as a spread on a cucumber sandwich.