We’ve become excited about finding new and yummy ways to use veggies that we get in a weekly garden basket. This is both challenging and satisfying. This is one of those recipes. This comes from Martha Rose Sullivan in NYTimes cooking and was a terrific way to use our fava beans.
For this you’ll need: Fava beans (we had a medium bag filled with them, about 20, we peeled and removed the beans from each pod), asparagus (a bunch of medium sized spears cut into about 1″ pieces), 2 Tbps fresh mint (chopped), 2 Tbsp fresh chives (chopped), 1-2 tsp lemon zest, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp red/white wine vinegar, 1 small shallot (minced), 3 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp plain yogurt, parmesan (finely grated, abut 2 Tbsp), 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, and salt.
First you’ll need to blanche the beans and asparagus. To this, start a large pot of water on to boil. Separately, place ice into a large bowl and cover with water. Once the water starts to boil, place the beans in for about 1-2 mins. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon or strainer and place them into the ice water.
Add the asparagus to the boiling water. Allow them to boil for about 2-3 mins, max, and then remove into the ice bath.
You’ll need to peel the outer shell off of the beans which should now be separated from the inner bean. You can do this by pinching one end of the shell and gently squeezing the bean out of its cover.
Place the blanched beans and asparagus into a separate bowl and add the chopped mint, chives and chickpeas and combine well. Set these aside.
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, chopped shallot, and salt (to taste) in a small bowl.Whisk in the olive oil and yogurt until well combined. Toss this with the beans and asparagus.
Add shaved parmesan over the top and chill for about 30 minutes before serving.
Dinner at Our Place 