Fava's are Here!

These beans are only available for a short time in the spring and early summer and there are a few steps in cleaning and cooking them, but they are clearly worth it so give them a try.
Fava Bean cleaning: for one cup of ready to eat beans you will need to start with about three pounds of bean pods, split open and remove the beans, next quickly blanch in boiling water for about a minute, plunge in ice water to stop the cooking process and to keep the bright green color, next pinch one side of a bean and squeeze the bean out of the thin shell. At this point they are cooked and ready to eat. Great in salads or my favorite way of pureed and spread on crostini with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Asparagus with Shelled Fava Beans