Fava Bean Bruschetta

from Adrienne Meier of Ocean Mist Farms

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup cooked, peeled Fava Beans, roughly chopped
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp of chopped rosemary
• 1 TB fresh lemon juice
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
• 8 slices toasted Italian bread

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine Fava beans, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
2. Spoon mixture onto toasted slices of Italian bread and serve. Mixture may also be stored in airtight container in refrigerator overnight.

Grilled Fava Beans

from Adrienne Meier of Ocean Mist Farm



Ingredients:

1-2 pounds fresh Fava Beans

Cooking Spray



Directions:

Spray whole Fava Bean pods with cooking spray. Place pods directly on hot grill or BBQ. Turn Fava pods frequently until pods char and begin to burst open (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from grill and cool pods for 10 minutes. Remove Fava Beans from pod and peel beans by pinching one end of the bean to pop bright green Fava bean from its waxy shell.



Grilled Fava Beans are delicious served as an appetizer with slices of Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Rainbow Chard with Fava Beans and Oregano

The stems of Swiss Chard get short shrift too often. Beautiful rainbow chard stems deserve a dish all their own. Blanched to remove toughness, then grilled -- yes we like our chard charred -- their earthiness is a natural complement to meaty fava beans.

Fava Beans are worth the work!

Shuck the beans and discard the pods. Blanch beans in boiling salted water (2 TB salt to 4 quarts water) for 10 minutes. Drain, ice, and rinse. Peel off the outer skin for bright green ready-to-eat beans. Serve hot with butter, salt and pepper or add to stir fry, tossed salad, or cold bean salad.

Ingredients

2 bunches rainbow Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out (reserve leaves for another use)
1 cup prepared fava beans
olive oil
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Halve each chard stem crosswise and blanch in a large pot of boiling salted water until just barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes depending on thickness. Reserve the cooking water. Cool stems in an ice bath then transfer to a bowl or plate.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal or medium heat gas. Oil the grill rack. Cook covered only if using gas.

Toss chard stems with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Grill stems, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 7 minutes. Cut into 1" lengths.

Saute garlic in 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium heat, stirring, until just pale golden. Add oregano, beans and chard. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 side dish servings. Note: Chard and beans can be prepared a day ahead; chill them in separate containers.