...with fava beans and a fine chianti

I just harvested our first fava beans today. We planted a long, 20 ft row of them as a cover crop, and left about 5 feet of plants to eat once the beans did their magic to the tired soil.

I hope this is good (I just made this recipe up, and have the audacity to put it on the blog without trying it first), but how can you go wrong with these delicious, precious beans that only grow for a few moments each year?

I just shelled one so I could photograph the beautiful little soft beds that the favas sleep in while they're growing, and my fingers smell like green, and like everything good and simple.

Fava Beans With Onion and Mint
Serves 2 as a side dish

I always shell fava beans, unless they're really young and tiny as their white skins can be bitter. It takes some time, but it is so worth it...

First shuck the beans from the pods, then parboil them for a few minutes until the white skins puff up. Remove the beans and submerge in ice water until they cool off a bit, then slip each bean out of its skin and you're ready to go!

* A few handfuls of peeled shelled Fresh Fava Beans (about 2 pounds in pod)
* About 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
* A nob of Butter
* A handful of white onion, chopped
* A good squeeze of Lemon
* Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
* Small handful of Mint, roughly chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Melt butter and oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add beans and cook until just heated through, then season with sea salt, lemon and pepper. Toss in mint (I am in love with a new mint plant I bought a couple weeks ago at Marina Garden Center called Mojito Mint - big leaves and amazing flavor!). Serve immediately.

YUM.