My Fava Bean Saga

Jodi Torpey, contributor

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Plump pods full of fava beans grew in spite of a late planting date and hot summer weather.

Jodi Torpey

Fresh fava beans made a delicious country-style spread for appetizers.

John Pendleton

Plump pods full of fava beans grew in spite of a late planting date and hot summer weather.

Photo: Jodi Torpey

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In June I wrote about planting a handful of fava bean seeds as an experiment. The recommended window for planting these cool-season beans had closed, but I planted them anyway just to see if they’d grow in hot weather.

The temperature climbed right after planting and there was a long stretch of consecutive 90-degree days. We also went weeks without any measurable precipitation, so I had to water the garden nearly everyday.

But the fava beans grew anyway.

In fact, the hot weather may have sped up the process. The vines grew tall, flowered and formed nice fat pods full of broad beans well before the anticipated number of growing days.

In late August, when the pods looked ready, I clipped them all off their vines. Then I started looking for recipes that called for fresh fava beans. I was inspired to create a spread to use as an appetizer on thick slices of a French baguette.

After cooking the shelled beans in water to remove their skins, I used a fork to mash them into a coarse, country-style paste. A little olive oil and lemon juice thinned the paste for spreading; kosher salt and ground pepper were sprinkled for taste. I topped each slice of bread with a piece of fresh mozzarella and a dollop of the fava bean spread. Basil leaves added the finishing touch.

I’d say my fava bean experiment was a delicious success.

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