Enjoying a Fava Bean snack this weekend, I am reminded of how I much I love them and how fortunate I am to have products like this so accessible in my Chicago neighborhood.
Three years ago, after moving to the northwest side of town, my grocery shopping options expanded for the better. My neighborhood (Portage Park) is a melting pot of cultures. Less than a mile from home, I can visit several Polish butcher shops and no less than three Sicilian bakeries. Just beyond, I have access to a grocer who makes delectable Barese style sausage and a mean soppressata every spring.
Around another corner, I can shop at a Sicilian butcher shop. On another stretch of Harlem Avenue, I can shop at a Middle Eastern bakery and enjoy a schawarma. Likewise, I can continue down the street and pop into several Italian specialty stores, including a fresh pasta shop. Further on up the road, I can visit a slaughter house for the “freshest” meats and dine at a Puerto Rican jibarito spot. In another direction, I can visit a large Greek produce and butcher store, an Irish pub, and a favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Eight blocks away, I can savor an $8 shrimp po’boy and buy good quality fresh fish from a Swedish fish store and smokehouse. The list of options is endless.
Groceries
For general grocery shopping, I shop at Caputo’s, an Italian owned and operated grocery chain with multiple locations. What I enjoy about the store is that I can find good quality Italian ingredients along with general food items. Every week, in a small stretch of the produce department, a revolving array of new and very old school Italian items are featured. During yesterday’s visit, I was happy to find fresh Fava beans.
As a regular customer, I’ve learned to anticipate the fruits of the seasons and always look forward to visiting that particular aisle. In the spring, I wait for the fresh raw almonds and fresh Turkish dates. In summer, Sicilian eggplant, giant globe artichokes, zucchini flowers, and Melrose Peppers fill the shelves in abundance. Similarly, in summer, Borlotti beans, and bushels of Roma tomatoes await. In the fall, Fava beans, Concord grapes, wine grapes, wine must, wine supplies, fresh uncured olives, more beans, fresh figs, and mounds of Michigan apples delight the senses. In the winter, blood oranges, persimmons, and other holiday fruits fill the shelves.
Unlike other general grocers, they do a great job of offering seasonal items that are in high demand by their clientele, which is mostly Italian. Throughout other parts of the the store, specialty items are abundant.
Lessons in Savoring the Moment
The best part of visiting this store is observing the older Italian shoppers at work. They are experts at selecting the right ingredients at the right time. For example, if the olives appear too raw, or two large, they may wait until next time, knowing another shipment is coming. I frequently stand in close proximity to Italian speaking patrons listening to them talk about their recipes and how they choose their produce. For example, fresh olives have different qualities depending upon size and color. Similarly, my southern Italian friends recommend the smaller green olives, while my Sicilian friends seek out the dark, almost wrinkled olives. Selecting the right fig, the right artichoke, the best bunch of rapini is executed with expertise and discussed at great length. Sharing a spot in the aisle with the elders is a lesson in savoring the moment, as referenced in my recent post about Orecchiette.
High in Fiber, Low in Fat, Loaded with Memories
The inspiration for this post is the Fava Bean. In my youth, my mother and grandmother enjoyed preparing them as a snack. After shelling a mountain of pods, they would blanch them and then shock them in bowl of ice water. Once cooled, pinching the outer white shell, we would squeeze the inner bean into our mouths. Dreaming of that fresh green taste, I brought some home and made a nice snack to serve with lunch. Follow this quick, and easy recipe, for a delicious snack that serves one or two.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Fava Beans, in the pod.
- 1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped.
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced.
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
01 Discovering the Fava Bean
Shell the beans. Notice the beautiful soft blanket-like texture on the inside of the pod.
02 Blanching the Fava bean
Blanch the beans in a pot of boiling water. 3-4 minutes.
03 Shocking the Fava Bean
Shock the beans in a bowl of ice water.
04 Enjoying the Fava Bean
Remove the white outer shell from the bean and place the shelled beans in a bowl or on a dish.
Add minced garlic, chopped mint, olive oil, and salt to taste. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Eat!
Serve on its own, or pile on a slice of baguette or crostini and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Below, I served my Fava beans with a tomato and onion salad and salmon salad. It was a light lunch with big flavor. A slice of crusty bread with a glass of Douro Branco was all that was needed to finish this meal.
The bean, blanched this way, is slightly crisp with a very subtle flavor. The olive oil and mint add a nice finish to it and the garlic speaks for itself. There are many Fava bean recipes out there, but this simple preparation is a favorite.
Tell me how you might serve them! Liver maybe? Perhaps a nice Chianti?
Enjoy!
