Peter Davies and Mark Scherzer are the owners of Turkana Farms in Germantown, NY. This week Peter writes: It’s spring, folks—time to Fava! Our favas have suddenly burst into full production, presenting us with one of the best crops of these quirky beans we have had yet. Some of you may know them as “broad beans,” the common designation in the U.K., “broad” actually being a direct translation from the Italian “ fava.” Strangely, despite their popularity in the U.K., fava beans have not entered generally into American cuisine. Instead they are savored in various ethnic pockets, particularly among those of Greek, Italian, Turkish, and Arab descent. My earliest memory of the broad bean or fava is as a child in Wales sitting at table opposite my grandmother who would pronounce cheerfully, “Lovely broad beans today!” I was not as enthusiastic as she. But then, her broad beans were simply boiled, peppered, and salted in the plain English manner. And I was not, of course, of an age to appreciate vegetables anyway. It was not until I was in my early twenties and living in Turkey, where I encountered fava beans braised in olive oil and fava bean purees, that I began to think fava beans “lovely.” Seredipitously, my enthusiasm for the fava started close to the bean’s place of origin. The fava, which has a long tradition in Old World agriculture, originated in North Africa. Along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, favas became an important part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 B.C., possibly earlier. Today, they are a major national dish in many parts of the region: in Egypt ful medames, in Iran bghalee polo, in Greece skordalia, in Ethiopia baqueela nifro and injera, in Portugal bolo rei , and in the New World, habas saladas in Columbia and Peru, and the habas con chile and antojito snacks of Mexico. Interestingly, there is a long history of favas as part of the cuisine in southwest Asia, too, where it now forms the basis of Sechuan dishes such as doubanjiang . As with all such ancient foods, the fava is rich with religious, superstitious, and folk associations. In ancient Greece and Rome fava beans were used as food for the dead at festivals such as the annual Lemuria. According to European folklore, planting beans on Good Friday or during the night brings good luck. But it is also believed that dreaming of a fava bean is a sign of impending conflict; conversely, some believe that eating them causes bad dreams. Some cultures use fava beans as a medium for divination, casting them on the ground in order to interpret the pattern they form. In Sicily, the fava has special significance because, in the distant past, there was a famine in which all crops failed except the fava bean, which saved the population from starvation. In gratitude, thanks were offered up to St. Joseph, which is why favas appear on Sicilian church altars on St. Joseph’s Day. Farther north, in Rome, on the 1st of May, families traditionally picnic on fresh fava beans with Pecorino Romano cheese during their excursions in the Campagna. But up in Northern Italy, fava beans traditionally had been fed only to animals. Some elderly people still frown on human consumption. The fava is also the center of a welter of medical claims. Pliny believed they act as a laxative. But in Belouchistan (eastern Iran/western Pakistan), elders generally restrict children from eating the beans raw, believing they cause constipation and jaundice-like symptoms. Moving closer to real science, there is evidence that those with a certain hereditary condition (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency) can, because of certain compounds in the fava, develop a potentially fatal condition called “favism.” Favas are rich in tyramine, thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, powerful anti-depressants. In The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lechter boasts that he once enjoyed the liver of a census taker together “with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” As a psychiatrist, he must have known he was naming the three “forbidden foods” for patients taking MAO inhibitors: liver, favas, and wine..
On a more positive medical note, favas are rich in L-dopa, a substance used medically to control hypertension and treat Parkinson’s disease. And some use fava beans as a natural alternative to viagra, citing a link between L-dopa production and the human libido. Interestingly, the fava bean originated in malarial areas. Studies suggest that favism, the disease induced by favas, while potentially fatal itself, actually protects against malaria. Fava beans have the reputation of being easy to grow. Not our experience. On the positive side, they are amazingly cold resistant, surviving temperatures down to the 20’s. So, in our climate, they can be set out in the early spring, long before the threat of frosts has passed. In Italy’s milder climate, they are planted in November and winter over to produce beans very early in the spring. Unfortunately, while cold resistant, they are extremely averse to hot weather, even more so than peas. If we do not start them in the greenhouse, then move them out to the garden very early in April, they are unlikely to produce before it gets too hot in late spring. Our plants rarely survive into early summer. And in this climate, they seem to be prone to fungal diseases, particularly chocolate spot (botrytis fabaea). Last year, because of the weather conditions, our fava harvest was very disappointing. This year, for reasons we have yet to understand, we have a bumper crop. Most of the fava bean recipes we have come across use only the bean itself, not the pod. But at present the pods of our beans are tender enough to be edible (and they are delicious). The Turks and the Brits are the only two groups I know who eat them this way. Last weekend we gorged on Turkish-style favas (beans in their pods) in olive oil (see my recipe below). This weekend we look forward to a stew of braised fava beans, artichokes, and green garlic, all ingredients home grown. In a week or so, the fava bean pods will become too tough to be edible, and it will be time to shift to eating the bean alone, braised or in purees. When the beans reach their mature stage, still later, we will have to peel them twice: first to remove the pod, then to remove the skin of the bean itself; which, otherwise, ruins the texture of purees. Some people are allergic to this skin. If after all this, you still want to try cooking favas yourself, here's a link to another recipe that sounds as if it is similar to the wonderful fava/chicory puree from the New York restaurant I Trulli, which specializes in the food of Italy’s Puglia region. My recipe for TURKISH STYLE FAVA BEANS IN OIL 1 lb. favas in pods (string them as you would green beans): 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 onion, chopped the juice of one lemon 1 T. sugar strained Greek yogurt chopped dill Heat oil a cast iron skillet or heavy enameled pot with a tight fitting cover over a medium flame. Add garlic and onion. When they are soft, add the fava bean pods. Toss in the oil to fully coat Turn heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook in the oil (stirring once or twice) for 10 to 15 minutes, until pods begin to yellow Add boiling water to barely cover, the lemon juice, a tablespoon of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered over a low flame for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the beans are soft, and the liquid has turned syrupy Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with chopped dill and a dollop of yoghurt.
