FAVA BEAN RECIPES
MINESTRONE WITH FAVA BEANS
2 cups shelled fava beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes
5 cups water
1/4 cup rice
2 cups chopped spinach
Salt Cook fava beans in pot of boiling salted water two minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Remove outer skins, discard and reserve beans. Heat olive oil in soup pot over moderate heat. Add onion and celery and saute until onion begins to brown, seven to 10 minutes. Add parsley, carrot and tomatoes and cook, stirring, several minutes. Add water and peeled beans, cover and cook over low to moderate heat until beans are tender, about 50 minutes. Add rice, cover and cook 10 more minutes. Add spinach, cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve hot.
Makes four to six servings.
Each serving contains about: 384 calories; 126 milligrams sodium; 0 cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 3.17 grams fiber.
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This "Scafata" recipe is adapted from Antonella Santolini's
"La Cucina Delle Regioni D'Italia: Umbria" (Edizioni Mida, 1988).
The name comes from the Umbrian word for the hull of the beans.
UMBRIAN FAVA BEAN STEW
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shelled, peeled fava beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
11/2 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves
11/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
Salt, pepper
Cook oil, beans, onion, celery, carrot and chard over low heat in medium saucepan. When beans are quite tender, after about 45 minutes, add tomatoes and cook another 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes four servings.
Each serving contains about: 157 calories; 124 milligrams sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.47 grams fiber.
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CREAMED FAVA BEANS AND BACON
5 pounds young fava beans, in pods
1/4 pound lean bacon strips
1 tablespoon butter
1 branch fresh savory (or pinch finely crumbled dried savory)
About 3 tablespoons water
Salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
Chopped parsley
Shell beans and remove skins from all except those pods that are tiny and bright green. Cut bacon in 1/2-inch sections, parboil for a few seconds to remove excess salt and drain.
Cook bacon in butter in heavy saucepan over low heat two to three minutes. Bacon should remain limp. Add fava beans, savory, just enough water to moisten lightly and salt to taste. Cover tightly and cook over high heat few seconds. Turn heat to low again so beans stew in own steam rather than boiling. Cook, shaking pan gently from time to time, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute or so.
Mix cream, egg yolks and pepper to taste and stir gently into fava beans. Return to low heat, stirring until sauce is only lightly bound, coating spoon thinly. Sauce should not approach boil. Squeeze in few drops lemon juice to taste, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Makes four servings.
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