Baby favas sauteed with bacon bits. Mixed into a quiche filling. Brioche doesn't appeal - too sweet.

Brioche doesn't have to be sweet. I was thinking of the texture. I'm just more inclined to make brioche than a laminated dough. I never thought of quiche. The beans will be whatever they have. Usually a mix of sizes, but this early in the season they might be babys. The larger ones, cut up, might hold up better, since they need to be blanched to peel. Thanks for the idea.

I grow my own favas so I pick them before they need peeling. We just use them as a regular vegetable, nothing fancy., but they do have an affinity with bacon. Steamed, boiled, sauteed, salad. Any thing you can do with peas you can do with favas. I've never come across a non-sweet brioche but then I don't make any yeast doughs. I suppose you could always leave the sugar out.

I've mostly made ful medames with fresh fava beans, but this sounds similar to your first idea.

I've also made falafel with fresh fava beans, and I especially like that.

Quiche sounds tasty, but I've never had it as a filling. I love a nice spring pasta with favas, peas and mint. (But I will admit I hate the amount of prep on the fresh favas)

Floral, I had to laugh! Fresh peas are extremely seasonal here, and fresh favas are usually available for more than a month. I just steam or blanch peas, or eat them raw. :) Actually, the little favas are good just blanched (but peeled!) too, fitting your make them like peas rule. :) I'm not a good enough gardener to grow my own, and I think it may be too warm here, but I've read so many stories of people in England p, even with very small gardens, growing peas and beans that I can picture it in my imagination. I have garden lemons, though...

IC, that sounds really good! I have the book, but got it before we started getting the fresh favas, and didn't take notice of it. Thanks!

Lars, a stew seems like a waste for fresh favas, but I did make something similar (not stewed) last year. I should try to remember to make them during the winter. Thank-you!

Gooster, I wouldn't have thought of combining them with peas! If I can find some, I'll try it!

I was thinking of the texture.

So said Hannibal Lecter

My FIL grew them every year and served them often. Fresh. He cooked them much like he cooked everything, garlic, olive oil, a little lemon. I don't see them frequently and should probably be doing more browsing at Farmers Markets - don't think I've served any in years but do like them.

The extra peel to get little green ones from their outer shell is relatively new to me, say 20 years.

As a child my mum grew favas and she was too busy to do the extra shell so that’s how we had them boiled...greyish colour. In fact I still quite like them cooked that way whereby I sort of peel them in my mouth. Definitely a throw back to childhood thing.

I do mostly do the extra shell on ours these days. although Gooster I’m with you on the peel but that pasta sounds delicious.

I blanch to make it easy to get the outer part off, and sit in front of the TV to take off the inner peels. I have a super-pointy, thin paring knife with which I stab the edge. Then the peel is pretty easy to remove, especially if they're still a little warm. The hard part is not eating all the little sweet ones while working. ;)

My mother used to cook them with the skin on too. Never liked that, but love them peeled.

Mixing up veggies seems normal to me. Having a small veg garden, if I have a few peas, mangetouts, and broad beans, it's natural to mix them up to have enough for a meal.

I love dishes like browning chicken thighs, then adding broth then spring veg in order of cooking needs so you end up with a lovely dish filled with peas, broadies, beans, asparagus..... and of course a few new potatoes. Yum.

That does sound yum.

If your watching for the favas then so will I. Isn't it a little early tho'? Are you getting some in an order?

Yes! An order. In my farm box at the end of the week.

I got a bunch of fresh whole Favas at The Market. i have them peeled and about 2 cups in a bowl. i remember that another ’shell’ has to be removed before they can be eaten, but i’ll be darned if i can remember what to do. online says to freeze them I didn’t do that and don’t want to. please remind me of how to do,this. Thanks!

I’m not aware of another ’shell’. There are just the pods and the bean skins. Personally, I only remove the pods, a process which is a recipe for black fingernails. To remove the bean skins dunk them in boiling water. If you can be bothered.

So, the ones I get here have the tough outer part--blanch, cut, remove--and the pale yellow inner thick skin--pierce and peel.

It’s the ’skin’ i meant . thank you for the ’how’

There's a sort of convenient "zip" on one end!

I wonder if some of you are being sold older beans? I've never come across this tough outer skin and pale yellow inner thick skin on home grown beans. Just the pod and the bean skin. The zip is on the pod, isn't it?

Floral, mine are straight from the farm. Not babies, but fresh picked. Very tender. Highly likely that they're a different type. Like some kinds of apples are sour, some sugary sweet, many in between, some have giant seed areas, some have tall skinny ones, some have thick skins, some have thin... I use a variety for pie. :) I'll try to remember to snap some pix of the beans. Fresh favas are awesome enough to bother with peeling.

I agree. I got mine all ready and ate all 2 cups for my dinner... fried with Zaatar spice. Delicious!

Can you ask the grower the name of the variety you are buying, Pillog? We call them Broad Beans, rather than Favas, and there are numerous cultivars. At the moment I have Aqua Dulce and Masterpiece Green Longpod coming along on the allotment. I can honestly say I’ve grown, eaten and cooked them for years and never peeled one.

Floral, when I bought mine the grocer had Favas, Broad Beans ans something else. What they were calling Broad Beans were smaller pods and greener. i wonder if they are the same plant only the Broad Beans were picked younger.

Floral, they don't have that kind of info on their website. If you want to research it, I'll give you their contact details. I've never grown beans of any kind, but the favas I get from the farm look like what I've seen in stores.