Fava bean de John Spottiswood

These meaty, strongly flavored beans have been around for ages, and they work well in sides dishes, soups, or salads. The larger ones are the best. Tender fresh fava beans are available in the fall and are much better tasting than canned, dried, or frozen ones. Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean. The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.