WWAD: Fava Bean Puree

WWAD: What Would Alice Do?  When in culinary doubt, this is the question I ask myself.  A quick look at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables and I landed on Fava Bean Puree.  Many steps, not a lot of fruit for your labor but a very tasty result.  A result that my husband actually loved.  Fellow CSAers, with the excess fava beans, this post is for you!

While the puree makes a tasty dip or crostini topper, I used it as the sauce for a vegetable pasta. Yummy!

Up next?  Grilled Fava Beans.

Fava Bean Puree
Ingredients

• 3 pounds of fava beans in their pods (3 cups of shelled/shucked beans)
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for finishing the purée
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 thyme sprig
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Water
• Salt & Pepper

Directions 

• Bring a pot of water to boil, and prepare an ice bath nearby
• Add beans to boiling water and cook for one minute
• Drain and plunge the beans in the ice bath. Once cooled, pierce the shell and pop the inner bean out of the lighter shell
• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the beans, garlic, herbs and salt
• Saute, mixing frequently and adding splashes of water as needed, for 20-25 minutes until the beans soften up
• Remove from heat, pull out the bay leaf and thyme sprig and mash in a food processor or by hand. Add the lemon juice, pepper and 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water if making a saucier puree