Fava Beans with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Lemon
Serving size: 4 as a side dish
[ingredients}2 pounds fava beans in their pods
1-2 large garlic cloves (to taste) crushed, peeled, minced
1/2
1/2 of medium lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
[/ingredients]
Put a large pot of water to a boil.
Shell the beans, then add them to the pot of water. After three minutes, test one with a slotted spoon. Beans are done when you can easily pierce the membrane with your thumbnail. This happens quickly. Drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, remove the outside membranes.
Pour olive oil into a 12 inch saute pan. Squeeze in the lemon, add the garlic, and sea salt. Cook the beans over medium heat an additional 5-15 minutes, depending on their size and your taste. This late in the season, the beans are likely to be starchy and need the full cooking time.
You can now toss the beans into a dish and call it done. Or…
–Add fresh or frozen peas
–Add fresh or frozen artichoke hearts
–Add sliced shallots
–serve any of the above on pasta
–Mash beans with a potato masher. Pour olive oil over to bind, and spread on bread.
Remember you can only be yourself.