Bruschetta With Goat Cheese & Mashed Fava Beans
It is hard to believe, but it is already June, and I can see every time we visit the local farmer’s markets that spring is eclipsing into summer. Fava beans are not as plentiful, strawberries are giving way to apricots, (the first of our fresh locally grown stone fruit), and really fresh artichokes are becoming scarce.
Although I love the bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables that summer brings, it is always difficult for me to say goodbye to my spring favorites. Seeing that really fresh fava beans are not so readily available lately, when I have come across them the past week or so I’ve become a little greedy and bought them by the bag full to put away in my freezer.
One of my favorite ways to serve fava beans is shown in this easy recipe. I simply pod the beans, boil them for 5 minutes and then remove the skins. I partially mash them with a little garlic, lemon, grated Pecorino cheese, salt & pepper.
I adore these mashed fava beans slathered simply on warm grilled slices of bread brushed with olive oil, or on grilled bread first spread with goat cheese as shown in this recipe. To be perfectly honest, fava are so tasty prepared this way I could simply eat them out of the bowl with a spoon!
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Bruschetta With Goat Cheese & Mashed Fava Beans
An easy spring Umbrian appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 Kilo Fresh Fava Beans
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
- 1/3 Cup Grated Pecorino Cheese
- 3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 8 Small Slices Crusty Baguette
- 4 Ounce Log Soft Goat Cheese At Room Temperature
To Serve:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- First remove the fava beans from their pods and boil them in a pot of water for 5 minutes.
- Drain, run cold water over the beans and allow to come to room temperature.
- Either use a sharp knife to make a slit in the skin or tear with your fingernails, and pop the beans into a bowl.
- Continue to remove the skin on all of the fava beans.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, and grated cheese and mix.
- Mash with a fork until half the beans are pureed (or use a hand wand and pulse briefly).
- Taste, and adjust seasonings and add additional olive oil if needed to create a spreadable consistency.
- Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Grill or broil the bread slices until golden brown on both slices and then brush one side of each slice with a little olive oil.
- Spread the side brushed with olive oil with goat cheese, then spread with some of the mashed fava beans.
- Arrange the bruschetta on a platter and drizzle the top with a little additional olive oil, then a sprinkling of cracked black pepper.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 slicesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 659Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 1462mgCarbohydrates: 92gFiber: 16gSugar: 8gProtein: 35g
