Young fava beans and pea shoots are at their peak in early spring. Fava, or broad beans, come in cushiony, fuzzy pods that must be removed before eating. Look for young fava with bright green pods. Peas shoots are the delicate sprigs of common pea plants that haven’t developed pods or flowers, so all the sweetness is in the leaves. They are delicious raw or stir-fried in a delicious Wilted Green Pea Salad. Enjoy them both.
Recipe: Spring Salad of Fava Beans and Pea Shoots
Tip: Fragile pea shoots should be used within a few days of purchasing them. Store them in an open plastic bag with a few dry paper towels.
(Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes and Stories from the Market and Farm
by Amelia Saltsma).
Serves 4-6
1 lb. young fava beans in pod
1 bunch pea shoots
1 head of spring butter lettuce
1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
1 lemon for juice
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shell fava beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil cook beans for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Trim pea shoots to remove any long tendrils that may be hard to chew. Place fava beans, pea shoots, lettuce, dill and chives in a salad bowl. Drizzle with about 3 Tbls. olive oil and squeeze lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
Spaghetti carbonara is one of our favorite weekday meals and one of the simplest dishes you can add to your cooking repertoire. Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin.
Serves 6
1 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. smoked bacon (about 4 slices of the thick, meaty kind)
6 oz. pancetta
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. cream
1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan, freshly grated
1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti pasta
1 1/2 c. diced onion
1 Tbls. minced garlic
1 Tbls. fresh thyme leaves
2 c. freshly shucked peas or substitute frozen
3 oz. pea shoots
2 Tbls. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
In a large pan, saute bacon and pancetta in olive oil slowly so that it releases its own fat before crisp. Add a grind of pepper.
Beat the egg yolks with the cream and season with a generous pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Add half the Parmesan.
Add pasta to boiling water. Cook approximately 10 minutes (set the timer) until al dente.
Note: The best way to check if your pasta is cooked al dente when the timer goes off is to test it. If it is not quite done, check it about every 30 seconds to minute after until done.
While pasta is cooking, add onion, garlic and thyme to the bacon and cook about 6 minutes until onion is translucent. Just before pasta is ready, stir in the peas.
When ready, drain pasta thoroughly. Immediately place pasta back in the pot and pour in cream and warm bacon mixtures. Stir to coat pasta; the heat from the pasta will cook the egg slightly. Add the remaining Parmesan cheese, pea shoots and parsley.
Variation: If you are not eating meat, substitute the pancetta with asparagus sauteed in olive oil.
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