Fava Beans with Red Onions and Garlic

This past weekend, Raul and I decided to change up our weekly routine and hit up the Hollywood Farmers market instead of our regular Beverly Hills market. It was a bleary, drizzly day but the produce could not have been more amazing! There were some huge ass beets, tons of greens, strawberries, cherries and in particular, these fava beans. I was about to pick up some whole beans and spend my afternoon shelling them, but right next to the bin, I noticed some pre-shelled beans and I decided to save myself an hour or two. If you have the time, I suggest picking up the un-shelled beans and doing the work yourself because you end up paying a lot more for the pre-shelled version. This was one of the first weekends in a long time that I went to the farmers market with nothing on my list. I just wanted to be inspired by what the SoCal spring had to share. Since, I didn't have a recipe planned for the favas, I put out a Twitter call for some help. Within seconds, I heard from Andy at The Wind Attack whose amazing site I drool over all the time. He eats so incredibly well and I am jealous of all the dinner parties he has with his friends! Plus, he has amazing photography. If you haven't checked out his site yet, what are you waiting for? Anyway, pre-shelled beans makes this recipe a breeze and I was especially excited that I had all the ingredients in my kitchen. I overcooked my beans ever so slightly, but I loved the fresh flavors in this dish! The nuttiness of the favas is the star, but of course there are the sweet onions and brightness from lemon juice that make this such a great dish.

Enjoy some pics of farmers market finds!










Fava Beans with Red Onions and Garlic
(From The Wind Attack)

Makes 2 side-dish servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shelled fava beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish, optional

Bring a few inches of water to boil in a saucepan. Add the fava beans and cook for four to eight minutes, when the beans are tender, yet slightly toothsome.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the onions when hot. Cook stirring frequently, if the onions start to brown, add a half cup of water to help them cook down without burning.

Drain the fava beans and add to the skillet. Cook for another two minutes, then add the garlic, lemon and salt. Cook for one more minute, then remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Top with a few grinds of pepper and fresh minced parsley, if desired.

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