Favas + Asparagus = Spring!

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Apr 9, 2010 at 6:09pm

Fava beans are back in the markets and that means Spring! I bought a bunch at Whole Foods, as well as a bunch of asparagus, and sauteed the two with a little garlic, in perhaps a little butter, and ate them – fresh and earthy – over creamy polenta. Pure Spring comfort, eaten with a spoon.

A fine meal…just for me.

After a week of cooking for the family, even while sick, it was awfully nice to make a simple, restorative dinner for myself. I even stole a few minutes on the deck today, in the sun, the best possible medicine. (Except for codeine cough syrup, that is some miraculous stuff.)

I’m trying to remember to not just serve myself small portions, but to practice leaving at least a few bites of food on my plate. Easier when I eat alone. Once I get talking…sipping wine…waving my hands around…sassing out my opinions…I completely forget… And then my meal is gone. What did it taste like? Um…

In that case, it helps to begin with an extra-small portion.

Fava Beans & Asparagus with Polenta
Serves 2-3

Note: if you’re lucky and find fresh morel mushrooms in the market as well, include them in this saute – even better!

1 c. polenta/coarse ground corn meal
3 c. water
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 lb. fava beans in their pods
1 bunch of asparagus, top halves trimmed into 1/2-inch pieces, bottom halves discarded
1 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine polenta, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, then turn heat to low. Simmer polenta, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, creamy, and tender, anywhere from 15-45 minutes (varies by grind). Add more water and cook longer if needed to achieve a creamy, tender consistency. When done, stir in 1 Tbsp. of butter, the Parmesan cheese, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil. While the water heats, remove fava beans from their pods (discard pods). When the water boils, add the fava beans and cook for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove fava beans to a small bowl and set aside. With the water still boiling, add the asparagus and cook for one minute. Drain asparagus into a colander and quickly rinse with cold water. Set asparagus aside.

With a sharp knife, trim a little edge from each fava bean, just enough to create a small opening in the waxy coating. Gently pinch the fava beans out of their coating, into a small bowl. Discard the coating.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Add the fava beans and asparagus and stir, sprinkling lightly with a little salt, and cooking for 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Serve favas and asparagus over warm polenta. Top with a few grinds of pepper and a shower of grated Parmesan cheese.

(You will likely have leftover polenta. Spread polenta into an 8-inch square pan and chill. Cut into squares and fry in olive oil, serve alongside a poached or scrambled egg, for a fantastic breakfast or lunch.)

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Older Comments

  1. By SML on May 20, 2010 at 8:02AM

    Excellent, thanks for the feedback, love it. Veg broth would be delicious - you can definitely play with this basic recipe. Now that it's warmer, a shower of fresh herbs to finish would be lovely. Later in the season, warming chopped garden tomatoes and/or sweet corn with the vegetables would be fantastic too.

  2. By Anonymous on May 18, 2010 at 9:05PM

    I made this as a side dish for dinner, using vegan butter and soy parmesan. Is was a delicious. Next time, I think I'll make it using vegetable broth instead of water. This is a keeper recipe for me, even my husband liked it.

  3. By SML on April 21, 2010 at 5:11PM

    Excellent, I'd love this with English peas. Def make the polenta, you'll be glad :) And make enough for leftovers - good for breakfast with an egg.

  4. By lauren on April 19, 2010 at 3:07PM

    Yep, I used English peas and asparagus! Next time I have to make my own polenta though. It was SUPER tasty!

  5. By SML on April 19, 2010 at 3:06PM

    That's great! Thanks for letting me know, awesome. Did you use peas?

  6. By lauren on April 19, 2010 at 12:20PM

    I made this over the weekend with a couple substitutions! It was so delicious!

  7. By SML on April 15, 2010 at 1:00PM

    Hey GummiBears - capers, I think I wouldn't use them here, only because I fear they'd bury the fresh-yet-subtle taste of both the favas with asparagus. The good thing is that capers keep forever, packed with vinegar and salt, so I wouldn't worry about them going south. The recipe I'm posting on Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly next Tuesday, however, uses capers, so if you can hold out, stay tuned... Until then, if you eat meat, you could do a saute of chicken breasts or pork chops and make a little pan sauce with some broth, lemon juice, and capers - do you ever do that? Very good. Piccata-esque, tasty with polenta. Or, for a meatless idea, you could saute mushrooms, spinach, and cherry tomatoes with garlic and capers, also delicious over polenta.

  8. By GummiBears on April 15, 2010 at 12:10PM

    Will this pair well with capers? I have some laying around and I want to use them up before it goes south, if it is possible.

  9. By SML on April 13, 2010 at 2:33PM

    English peas would be fab also! So fun to find these delicious, spring-y things at the market. Looking forward to morels...

  10. By lauren on April 13, 2010 at 1:08PM

    Oh I love spring too! I have been buying English peas but next time I will pick up some fava beans for this dish! So YUMMY!

  11. By metal mommy on April 13, 2010 at 5:29AM

    I can't believe I'm the only one to ask if you had these fava beans with a nice Chianti...???!!!