I hate lima beans...

I hate lima beans. I've never liked them, and unlike other vegetables I didn't care for as a kid, I haven't grown to like them as an adult. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli--loved them. But lima beans....bleh.

When I was in culinary school, one of our assignments was to write a paper on a vegetable. We could pick any vegetable we wanted, and we needed to include a recipe with the report. There was a list of suggested vegetables written on the marker board in the classroom, and I immediately focused on fava beans. I didn't know anything about them, other than they looked a little bit like limas, and that Hannibal Lecter enjoyed them with liver and chianti. I had decided early on that if I was going to be a chef, I couldn't let fears or aversions drive my cooking. So, since one of the reasons I had always avoided favas was their resemblance to limas, I decided that this a perfect reason to choose them for my assignment.

In doing my research, I found out that fava beans are a member of the pea family (I don't particularly care for peas, either, so I was really questioning the wisdom of my choice for this paper).They are a cool season annual, and are typically harvested in the late spring. Chances are, you're probably seeing favas on the menus of your favorite restaurants right about now. If the beans are allowed to fully mature, they are usually then dried and often ground into a coarse flour used in dishes such as falafel.  

The beans grow in long, thick pods, about 5 to 7 inches in length. Fresh fava beans are typically sold in the pods and must be removed from the pod prior to cooking. You can also often find favas in the freezer section of the grocery store--look in the international foods section of the freezer. Fresh or frozen, the individual beans are encased in a thick, somewhat translucent skin called the pericarp, which also must be removed. To prepare the beans for use, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and drop the beans into the water. When the water returns to the boil, drain the beans into a colander and transfer them into a bowl of ice water to shock them and stop the cooking. The pericarp can now be easily removed with a sharp paring knife.  

In my research, I found many recipes, but the one that caught my eye was a pureed dish called Bissara. It's flavored with lemon juice and parsley and usually served with pita bread, crackers, or fresh vegetables. So, I made a batch, scooped some onto a slice of pita, and took a bite. It was delicious! I was completely surprised to find that I liked it so much. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed that fava dish, I can't say that I've changed my opinion on lima beans...but I did get an A on my paper.

Over the years, I've tweaked that original recipe, and it's become one of my standard offerings for parties and potlucks. And, when I have the time, I like to make my own flatbreads, too, so here are the recipes for both. Enjoy!

Bissara - Middle Eastern Fresh Fava Bean Dip

Makes about 3 ½ cups

3 ½ cups boiled and peeled fava beans

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
²/₃ cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Serve with flatbread, pita bread, vegetables, or crackers for dipping.

Flatbreads

Makes 12 pieces

¾ ounce active dry yeast (3 packets)

¾ cup whole milk at room temperature

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to garnish

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

To make the flatbread, mix the yeast and milk together in a small bowl. Place the flour and salt in a food processor and process to mix. Add the yeast mixture and process for about 60 seconds, until you have a well-mixed dough. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to rise. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into balls. Roll each ball of dough out to form a very long thing strip, about 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide.

Sprinkle the dough strips with Kosher salt and pepper, and transfer them to the pizza stone in the oven. Bake until gold brown, about 6 minutes.

Remove the flatbreads to a rack to cool. Serve with the bissara.