I'd sub green beans, but you say you cannot substitute. I would NOT use dried fava beans -- they'd ruin the dish. Can you find a different recipe?

I've bought the ingredients for the recipe already. Too late to change my mind now. Plus, we work from a limited list of recipes. It is really more of a "recipe testing" group, thus the prohibition on substitutions. If I had known anything about fava beans, I would have known they aren't in season now. :-(

There are canned fava beans. I've never used them.

I never thought to look for those, john. And I'll bet the groceries out here in the sticks where I live don't carry them.

bbstx, I should clarify that I assumed by "fresh fava beans" they meant green and in the less-mature pods (i.e., when they're used like green beans).

FWIW, I pretty much love all beans... dried fava beans is an exception. lol!

I find fresh fava beans in Middle Eastern markets, and the one I usually go to is Lebanese or Syrian. Although you cannot substitute, I think the best sub would be frozen lima beans, which you might consider for the recipe when you are not making it for the club. I've not looked for frozen fava beans, but I think I could probably find them at the Lebanese market. I agree that dried fava beans is not an acceptable substitution for that recipe, but I do sometimes use dried fava beans when making falafel, and they work fine for that, although I usually use fresh. The canned fava beans will have a different flavor and texture, and I would not use those either, as they may have been dried before they were canned.

Here we'd find fava beans in the Italian specialty shops.

Dried fava are very different than fresh IMO. The closest would be some other fresh shell bean. It's a little early for fresh favas in my neck of the woods, although the season is fast approaching.

Thank you all for your comments and insights into fava beans. I think I will just omit them from the recipe. The recipe only calls for 3 or 4 pods. Sounds like none is better than dried. I'll give the dried to DD. She and DSIL love all dried beans.

No specialty markets of any stripe in our little town.

" fresh fava bean = fresh broad bean = fresh butter bean = fresh Windsor bean = fresh horse bean = fresh English bean Pronunciation: FAH-vah Notes: Tender fresh fava beans are available in the fall and are much better tasting than canned, dried, or frozen ones. Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but more mature beans should also be peeled to rid them of their tough, waxy skins. Substitutes: fava bean (dried) OR fresh lima beans (These are sweeter, and more delicately flavored.) OR chickpeas."

Just so you know, you're not crazy. They don't appear to be in season?

I've purchased some at the local Farmer's Market (in the spring) and my neighbor also grew some. (they are a winter/spring crop here) They are a PITA to prepare, btw. You must husk the beans from the pithy pods, then blanche, then remove the troublesome inner husk from each bean (like a thick membrane), and then end up with a very small pile of beans which you must cook again in your dish. I made them with mint and peas in a fresh pasta dish that was delish but it was labor intensive.

In California in the '80s, they were being grown as a fall/winter cover crop. I did that for a few years. I must have tried to cook a few from some small pods, but I don't recall that they had a significantly unusual flavor. My major memory (just confirmed with google) was that a subset of Mediterranean people were severely allergic to them. Might be a good excuse to leave them out. Perhaps they are just in the recipe for custom or appearance.

Rob, I had come to the same conclusion: they're not in season. The website I found said they were in season from May to November.

Gooster, thanks for the heads-up on the yield. I don't need a labor intensive ingredient added to the already labor intensive recipe. Lots of chopping this finely and mincing that (is there a difference?) I chose a braise because I'm going to make it one day and serve it the next. That's allowed in the recipe!

Chas, in the the picture that accompanies the recipe, the fava beans give a nice little dash of green to an otherwise brownish dish. I like your excuse! I think I'll adopt it with gusto, although everyone in the group has already said they are not allergic to anything, and the only strong dislike was duck. After all, someone may be totally unaware of their allergy-proned heritage!

Believe it or not, I saw frozen fava beans in my hick town grocery store. Not sure if they were frozen fresh beans or frozen cooked dried ones. I did not buy them, I can't afford fancy foods.

While at the groc today, I looked but didn't see any fava beans in either the freezer section or the canned section. Most of our exotic food is found at Walmart. No really. The traditional grocery in town has the better selection of organic or gluten free foods, while Walmart has the better overall variety, and the better cheese selection!

I guess in other areas of the country the season for fresh fava beans (aka garbanzo or chickpeas) might be May to Nov, but here in Northern CA it's right....now....and going fast!

Usually they appear shelled and cooked at restaurants out here. Rarely does one get the whole pods, because the beans must be immature. We had some just last week at a local restaurant and they were FABULOUS. The pods are boiled, then tossed with EVOO and grilled on one side for caramelization. Light sprinkle of sea salt and that was it.

My DH doesn't normally like peas or beans of any kinds, but he adores the fresh fava beans, and loved this new whole pod variant. We fought over who got the last one!

jakkom, from memory, I would have said they should be fresh in CA now too. I am glad to know that they might be cooked into something exciting. But you are confused in thinking that they are garbanzo beans. They are aka English Broad Beans.

The website I looked at was a California fava bean producer. It is where I got the information that they are fresh May thru November. Perhaps The Fava Bean Growers have developed a new early bean. Or maybe the season is just early this year. Or maybe the website I looked at was erroneous (misinformation on the internet? I can't imagine!)

It appears they can be planted in winter for early spring harvest or late winter for late spring harvest, in California. Gardening Instructions

I've only had the mature pods -- really old ones -- and you had a really lengthy prep process that I described above. However, they were delicious and DH loved the pasta . My neighbor had a plot of them and when I told her how to cook them, she decided to turn them into compost!

Broad beans are a favourite in our house and just in season now. I cheat and buy them frozen and double podded as they freeze very well. lovely as a salad in a light vinaigrette and a sprinkling of feta cheese. Deffo not the same bean as a chickpea.

Favas are NOT garbanzo aka chickpeas. They are favas aka broad beans. They may be a fall crop in Europe (they are an old world bean), but here in the Mid-Atlantic, they are sown in the fall or winter for spring/early summer harvest. I've grown them, but haven't bothered to in a few years.

The braised lamb shanks are out of the oven (why didn't someone tell me about the fell?). They smell delicious. My plan is to refrigerate the shanks and the braising liquid, then tomorrow reduce the liquid and reheat the shanks in the sauce. Should I leave the shanks in the braising liquid in the fridge or refrigerate them separately until tomorrow? Should I reheat the shanks in the un-reduced sauce tomorrow (which would get me back to about where I am now), then remove them while I reduce the sauce? I love braises, but I've never done a real, full-fledged braise before. Most of my braises are chicken thighs (my favorite is ann_t's Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives).

Following a Food 52 method for make ahead braised short ribs, I have put the lamb shanks in the fridge in a dish separate from the braising liquid. I have strained the braising liquid, and it is being stored in another container. Tomorrow, I'll but the braising liquid in the dutch oven, reduce it, add the lamb shanks to the reduced braising liquid and reheat them in the liquid. If there is a reason I shouldn't proceed this way, PLEASE let me know.

Sounds delicious, but I usually overnight in the braising liquid. Not sure why, and separating makes it easier to de-fat.

BTW, I grow favas from seed started around Thanksgiving and am beginning to get usable beans. In N. California at least, they are in season.

Oops, thanks to all who pointed out I smooshed favas and garbanzos together! My bad, I do know they are different beans so my only excuse is being fuzzy-headed from the flu, sigh.

Both fresh favas and fresh garbanzos are available here now in Northern CA; their seasons overlap a bit.