What do you do with all those fava beans from your winter cover crop? The possibilities are endless, but when you’re in the mood for something sophisticated, try this fava bean crostini for a bright spring delight.
It is based on a recipe from Susie Middleton’s Eat Your Spring Veggies: Five Fresh Dishes in Oregon Live. Instead of shallots, we used some of our freshly harvested, young green garlic. Check out this satisfying treat:
Ingredients – for 2
Kosher salt
1 pounds fava beans in the pod
2-4 slices baguette or crusty Italian bread (Italian bread will be larger so you will only need 2 slices)
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing bread
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons diced green garlic
a dash of vinegar (we used rice wine)
1 teaspoon finely chopped or very thinly sliced fresh mint
Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
Shell fava beans from the pod and bring an inch or so of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add fava beans and cook for 3 minutes. Meanwhile prepare a bowl of ice water.
Drain fava beans and plunge into ice bath for another 3 minutes. Fava beans have to be shelled again because the inner pod is not edible. After blanching, the second shelling will be easier.
Pop the beans out of the second shell and set aside.
Next, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and saute green garlic for 2-3 minutes (don’t let it brown). Add the fava beans and a little salt, a splash of vinegar and stir to combine.
Take the pan off the heat, add chopped mint. Mash the fava bean mixture with a wooden spoon until about half of the beans are broken up. Sprinkle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Final stretch here…
Rub two slices of crusty Italian bread with olive oil and broil for several minutes until slightly golden.
Spoon bean mixture on top of each slice of bread and sprinkle with additional cheese for garnish. Serve with your favorite pasta.
