for the love of food

Labor of Love

some foods require a bit of labor to get to their essence - and fava beans are one of them.

favas were not well represented in the austin farmers markets this year.  i know they went quickly at boggy creek farm.  i was away at the time and missed them completely. now out of season - i still can’t resist when i see some beauties at central market - from mexico.

i know - but  i can’t always be seasonal & organic & local. i’ll admit it.

last week i spotted a good looking crop of favas. the pods were large - glossy green & fresh looking. i stripped one to check the beans inside which were fully grown. score !

i like the ritual of stripping pods of their  beans - amassing a small pile of jewels.

these jewels are then blanched about 2-3 minutes (boiling water to ice water bath). the outer skins are then removed to reveal a bright green fava ! this step amasses an even smaller pile of the coveted fava.

the preparation seems tedious and time consuming but the final taste is oh ! so worth it.

i made a classic italian starter from these favas. mashed favas with evo oil and sea salt. smothered on crostini - topped with a few drops of truffle oil & a dusting of parmesan.

it’s a special treat.  a labor of love.