We grow broad beans every year. Broad (or fava) beans are another childhood memory. We'd pick them on sunny winter afternoons and then shell them in front of the fire for supper. This year's crop was not great. Thanks to the dearth of rain and water.
Our bumper 2015 crop, and when we had a "heronly" visitor.
Ever since I lived on my own and had a patch of ground, I have grown vegetables (or tried). The Husband happily tells friends that when he met me, I had a tiny terrace cottage with an equally tiny back garden. In it he discovered a couple of enormous tomato plants among the ornamentals. I have yet to loose an almost childlike excitement at the first season's picking or pulling of any bounty that privileges our garden. Then I set to thinking about what I'm going to do with it. Usually, the first pickings are the sweetest and most tender so they get the least "treatment". So it always is with our first broad beans: lightly boiled (not to death like my English mother would have cooked them) and as an accompaniment to supper. However, that gets really boring ...
Salad with Broad Beans, Pepino, chives and mint
So, in addition to that way, I also use them in salads: blanch the beans and pop them out of their grey skins and toss the beautiful, bright green cotyledons into the salad. This salad, in addition to the broad beans, and as the flavours seem to work well together included mint and chives, as well as pepino. For a little extra colour, a scattering of calendula petals topped it off.
I have mentioned my love affair with Katie Caldesi's Italian Cookery Course, and in it, discovered a traditional Italian dip made with broad beans and mint. I had never thought of including mint with broad beans. Mint is for peas - or so I had been brought up to think (by that same English mother....). Anyway, I looked at the recipe and gave it a bash. Essentially, it's broad beans (popped out of their skins if they're big (I didn't with this batch as they were still tiny), mint, finely grated Parmesan cheese, garlic leaves (or a small clove if you don't have the leaves). Whizz or pulse together into a paste. Serve on crostini drizzled with olive oil.
I love it when my "product" looks like the picture. Both the book and the platter from the same friend. The book for a milestone birthday, and the platter, the first time she ate dinner in our home. That's going on eleven years ago, now...
We enjoyed that dip so much, that I now make it quite often. I have also used the basic idea, to make a rustic pesto with home made pasta.
You will find the recipe here.
Post script:
This has been updated from the original, first saw the light of day on my first blog in 2014. Some already appear on this site, others don't. Part of the update process is including downloadable copies of the recipes I write about.
Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post Script
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Thank you!
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You're welcome @fionasfavourites
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There really is something special about harvesting the first fruits of the season! Whatever it may be, those first nibbles after many months away are just heaven. I totally agree about letting the produce shine on its own with little tinkering. Those toasts look fab, as does the salad!
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You know, when I revisited this post and wanted to refresh the photos, I realised how much we actually ate from the garden before the drought. It's vindicated the borehole decision. Still wait for the water. Hopefully in the next couple of days. Electrician here today for the pump connections.
I am sure this is getting boring...🤣🤦🏼♀️
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Better days will come soon I hope! At least you know just how valuable all that work will be when you can start harvesting even more delicious goodies from the garden. :)
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🤗
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Took a closer look at what fava beans were, and apparently it's not what I looked up yesterday.
Just now I found they are just the regular beans I grow in my garden each year, lol.
Sound delicious... I will definitely give it a try.
Would be good with a nice Chianti, I guess ;0)
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Ha! you see! Yes, with a nice Chanti or even a Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc....
Actually, one of the bad photos I have of pasta, there's a glass of rose in the background... ;)
Enjoy!
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that salad seems nice but I'm not sure if I want to eat that. By the way the photo of vegetables is nice and about this cover photo, are this handmade or it's grown like this?
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Some people like salad others don't.
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Hi, @fionasfavourites!
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Looks like something we call "buncis" here in my country.. I put it in my common veggie soup, stir-fry it and my favourite's is stir-fry it then add some coconut's cream.
It looks so delicious when you made it as dip @fionasfavourites 😉 maybe I should try it too.
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@cicisaja
Your comment made me consult Professor Google. I learned that "buncis" is green bean and found these two articles
https://id.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buncis
And
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_bean
Yes, we eat a lot of these beans, too, and have a crop coming, but they are different from the fava bean which, I now know to be a member of the pea family
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_faba
I am really glad you commented because it made me go and find out more - including how this bean is eaten/used in other countries.
Fiona
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Yes, definitely English family teachings with Peas and Mint (still do it that way when I get fresh peas), great new recipe to try with broad beans both in the salad and in a spread Fiona.
These fava beans were recently introduced to me by an Indian friend, I tried them in her recipe of lightly frying them (after blanching and podding) with onions and some curry (I have a curry leaf tree adds to freshness), serve with a few fresh coriander leaves.
I have never tried to grow them so perhaps that's another tip, to give it a go @fionasfavourites
@tipu 0.20
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That sounds delicious, @joanstewart. I struggle to get curry leaves here... Dried ones are just not the same. And the curry bush, is also not the same. Mint and peas - marriage made in heaven.
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My grandma used to have rows and rows of fava beans! They were a main staple in her pantry- soups, stews or just a plateful of beans!
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🤗
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I seldom see fava beans here, I guess the people are not that use to it...
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Oh my! Fava beans? I didn't know they existed, but that salad looks perfect Lady Fiona.
Blessings!
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