Name: Fava Bean Crostini
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds fava beans in their pods; Juice of one lemon; Some glugs of very good extra virgin olive oil; Handful of pecorino cheese, grated; A loaf of ciabatta bread, sliced; 1 clove of garlic; Salt and pepper to taste; Fresh herbs that you have on hand – mint, basil or tarragon are nice

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It’s a definite sign of Spring when the first baccelli start making an appearance at your local markets. Baccelli are otherwise known as fave, or fava beans, and tend to be slightly smaller than normal broad beans. Fresh, seasonal appetizer that takes no time to prepare.

Ingredients

2 pounds fava beans in their pods
Juice of one lemon
Some glugs of very good extra virgin olive oil
Handful of pecorino cheese, grated
A loaf of ciabatta bread, sliced
1 clove of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs that you have on hand – mint, basil or tarragon are nice

Instructions

Start off by shelling the pods and collecting the beans in a bowl. Put aside some of the beans to use as garnish. In a mortar and pestle, smash up the rest of the fava beans with a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Add the grated pecorino cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile grill the slices of ciabatta bread and when they are done, still hot, rub one side of the bread once with the clove of garlic. If you’re a garlic lover, you can rub more but try not to go overboard with the raw garlic as it tends to overpower! Top each slice with a spoonful or two of the fava bean paste and decorate with some of the whole fava beans that you put aside at the beginning, and a few leaves of your favourite fresh herbs. Tastes like Spring.

Notes

Recipe from Food52

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Fava Bean Crostini