I want to tell you about the fabulous CSA, Osprey Farm, where Aaron and I get the majority of our produce. The picture to the left shows the vegetables I picked from on Tuesday, all grown fresh by Jesse and Chloe, for the first pickup day of the spring/summer season. I chose garlic scapes, fava beans, radishes, and bok choy. So much spring in one basket!!
If you haven't heard of it, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a great way for consumers to get closer to their food source by purchasing foods directly from the farmer. Typically, you purchase a "share" of produce at the beginning of the season for a set price, and then you get to pick up a gorgeous basket of fruits and vegetables each week, and talk directly with the farmers. This system allows the farmers to have some security, by guaranteeing them a stable income. You can learn more about the CSA system, and search for a CSA in your area, here. Some CSAs even offer eggs, dairy, or meats.
If you haven't heard of it, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a great way for consumers to get closer to their food source by purchasing foods directly from the farmer. Typically, you purchase a "share" of produce at the beginning of the season for a set price, and then you get to pick up a gorgeous basket of fruits and vegetables each week, and talk directly with the farmers. This system allows the farmers to have some security, by guaranteeing them a stable income. You can learn more about the CSA system, and search for a CSA in your area, here. Some CSAs even offer eggs, dairy, or meats.
Osprey Farm's CSA newsletter this week helpfully offers tips and recipes for cooking the beautiful fava beans. They are not difficult to work with, but do require some special preparation.
In the shell, fava beans look like really, really big green beans or shell peas. The first thing you have to do is remove them from the shells. I just tear open one end of the shell and then split it open, pulling out the beans inside.
In the shell, fava beans look like really, really big green beans or shell peas. The first thing you have to do is remove them from the shells. I just tear open one end of the shell and then split it open, pulling out the beans inside.
When you're done, you'll have a bowl full of these light green beans. One pound of favas in the shell yields about one cup of shelled beans. But don't try to eat one at this point, because they're not ready yet. Boil a pot of water, pour it over the beans, and let them sit for a few minutes.
After the beans have blanched in the hot water for a few minutes, drain them. Take each bean and use your thumbnail to nick the waxy coating off the end of each bean. It should split open easily if the beans have soaked for long enough. Then, just squeeze gently and the bright green fava beans will pop out. They are so delicious, it is hard to not eat them all up right then and there. Try to control yourself if you plan to use them in a recipe.
Farmer Jesse recommended trying the newsletter recipe for "Fava-mole", an alternative to guacamole. The recipe also includes the garlic scapes that I had picked up, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's a simple combination of the shelled beans, scapes, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pop it all in the food processor and that's all there is to it. I followed the recipe exactly but found it didn't have quite enough liquid to become creamy, so I just added a couple tablespoons of water and processed it a bit more. Perfect!
I tasted my fava-mole and it was delicious, fresh and garlicky. To me, it doesn't really taste like guacamole, but it tastes really really good.
Aaron is gone on a business trip this week, which leaves me free to eat whatever silly thing I want for dinner. For me, that means SNACKS. I would eat SNACKS happily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The great thing about SNACKS is that, besides being delicious, you can eat a few extra small snacky meals each day - second breakfast, elevenses, and such. ;)
So here is my dinner tonight, in all its glory! Fava-mole, goat cheese drizzled with nice olive oil and some fresh ground black pepper, and crackers.
I tasted my fava-mole and it was delicious, fresh and garlicky. To me, it doesn't really taste like guacamole, but it tastes really really good.
Aaron is gone on a business trip this week, which leaves me free to eat whatever silly thing I want for dinner. For me, that means SNACKS. I would eat SNACKS happily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The great thing about SNACKS is that, besides being delicious, you can eat a few extra small snacky meals each day - second breakfast, elevenses, and such. ;)
So here is my dinner tonight, in all its glory! Fava-mole, goat cheese drizzled with nice olive oil and some fresh ground black pepper, and crackers.
NOM. Love to you all. Amy