Re: garden = food = ?
- Subject: Re: garden = food = ?
- From: Jason D j*@yahoo.com
- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 15:36:57 -0700 (PDT)
FYI, while I love fava/broad beans, they can cause
allergic reactions in a small number of people whose
family heritage includes Mediterranean Basin peoples.
Those with such background might be wise to test one
or two beans the first time before digging into a full
serving.
Cheers,
Jason Dewees
San Francisco, California
--- Tony and Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> Nan Sterman wrote:
> >
> > A foodie question for my Medit pals:
> >
> > I grew fava beans this year for the first time but
> I have no idea how
> > to prepare them. I'd appreciate any help you
> might offer but since
> > this is a bit OT, let's communicate off-line.
>
> Hi Nan,
>
> Bridget has given you one good idea. However, I can
> add to this.
>
> With fava beans (the English know them as "Broad
> Beans" as do we) it is
> important to take them young. When they are fully
> ripe, they become
> tasteless and floury - although some people say that
> at this stage they
> can be skinned and the contents of each bean dried
> for use as winter
> supplement in stews and suchlike. We have not tried
> this.
>
> It is a good idea to "feel" the beans through the
> pods as soon as the
> pods reach a reasonable size, and pick them when you
> can feel the beans
> inside as distinct knobs. At this stage the pods
> will be green (later
> they go yellowish and may develop blackish spots on
> the outside). Pods
> can be quite large yet the beans inside have not yet
> developed properly
> and there is no point in picking them then (although
> some people suggest
> that you can pick and cook entire beans when they
> are young).
>
> Fully developed beans will be about half an inch
> long and quite plump.
> Fully grown pods are typically 4-5 inches long. The
> individual beans
> should be green (a few rare varieties are red). If
> they have changed to
> a dirty white, they are over-ripe and if you want to
> eat them at this
> stage (we would not!) then they will need skinning,
> or they could be
> dried and made into a bean powder for adding to
> soups and stews.
>
> We see no point in skinning the individual fresh
> beans, we always cook
> and eat them intact. Most commonly, we just cook
> them as we would peas.
> They have a fairly strong flavour, which a /few/
> people do not like. We
> love them!
>
> They can be used as a separate vegetable, or cooked
> and served in a
> white sauce as one would cauliflower. Or they can be
> added to stews etc.
> They also go very nicely with bacon.
>
> Tony
> --
> Tony & Moira Ryan,
> Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our
> garden at:-
>
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
>
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