Salad of fava and peas
Fave e piselli
Three fresh ingredients showered in olive oil is all it takes to make this healthy salad of fava and peas, while mint boosts the taste with a cooling sharpness
This year we have had couple of rows of fava beans among the olive and almond trees. Right now most of the pods have turned downwards as a sign that they are ripe for harvesting. They can of course be left to dry on the plant and soaked and eaten later much like almonds. But in my opinion the fresh fava beans are far better, so I’ve been making salads of fava beans, green beans and pancetta, fava with bacon and tomatoes, and pasta with fresh fava beans. This salad of fava and peas serves as a lazy version of a frittella Palermitana salad, but it is still a pleasure to eat.
Ingredients
250 g fava beans
250 g fresh green peas
Fresh mint
salt, pepper, olive oil
Preparation
When the beans are very green and fresh they can be eaten directly from the pod.
If the beans have a slight bitterness, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes to make them more palatable.
Mix the beans with shelled peas and olive oil to make a salad of fava and peas.
Shower the salad of fava and peas in fresh mint before serving.
My, but what a delightful Spring offering. With three Spring garden mainstays, fave, peas and mint, it epitomizes this time of year. It sounds delightful.
It is really nice. And so easy – once you have the peas and the beans shelled.