Fava Beans
Two words: grill them.
Favas might be one of the lesser known veggies that end up in your tote this season, right there with the kohlrabi and celeriac. Because they're not-so-common in American kitchens, you might appreciate a couple pointers.
First, you don't eat the pod! The good eating is inside - the fat beans that are nestled amongst that downy fuzz. One more thing, though: the beans themselves are wearing jackets, a pale green skin that is edible but a little tough. The bean beneath is bright green and super tender. Of course getting to that bean is a project - first shell the beans, then peel the beans, and then, finally, cook the beans. Slow food at it's best.
Here's a collection of recipes that use them in that pristine, perfect, peeled form: https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/fava-bean-recipes-gallery/
But if you're like me, there aren't a lot of hours in the day to be shelling and painstakingly peeling fava beans, which is why I love to grill them. We put whole pods on the BBQ and grill them until they're soft and charred on the outside. When they come off the grill and cool a little you can coax the beans out of the pod, bite off a corner of the pale green "jacket," and squeeze the beans straight into your mouth. It turns a fava shelling chore into a fava eating party. Way more fun and really yummy.
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