BROAD BEANS

It’s harvest season for broad beans here in Featherston. With smile on our faces David and I stepped down from the back porch to pick the fruit of our labor from cozy cottage's vegetable garden.

Broad beans, also known as fava beans is a species of the flowering plant in the pea and bean family, fabaceae. They are a good source of lean protein with no saturated fat nor cholesterol. Also rich in thiamin, vitamin K, vitamin B-6, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc and magnesium.

Planting and growing your own is no hard work for keen gardeners because these beans can look after themselves once the seedling plants are established and the stakes that will protect them from gale-force wind had been provided. They are frost tolerant and will germinate in temperature as low as 2C. Unlike other trees and plants that become dormant during winter, broad beans are sown from early autumn up to late winter to develop buds, flowers, and pods and be harvested in late spring to early summer. They can make the garden look alive and green no matter how cold the temperature gets. Another good reason for having   broad beans in your garden is the fact that it is a soil-improver. While growing, the plants take nitrogen from the air and store it in the plants. After harvesting the beans, the plant can be cut down and the soil dug in to release the nitrogen from the roots. The nitrogen released will enhance the soil condition for nitrogen hungry brassicas--cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale etc.

Best way to cook and enjoy your broad beans? 

In our kitchen, broad beans are the 'green' part of our main meal that consists of boiled or mashed potatoes and beef steak. If you have a different taste for beans, there are other means for your palate to enjoy these beans. You can either nibble them fresh after picking or boile/steam them for a few minutes to complement your meal. Last year, we had a bumper crop of this nutty beans, so the freezer really had a lot to work on to make them last for the next season. So as not to bore our palate with the same boiled/steamed beans, I did some research as how to use surplus produce in some other ways. Luckily, I discovered a recipe from a Pasta Cookbook that used broad beans as one of its main ingredients. I followed the recipe step by step  (except I used freshly picked broad beans so no boiling nor peeling was done). What would be more flattering for a cook than see the dish prepared and served appreciated and  enjoyed by choosy tastebuds and tummy? So here is a very inspiring recipe that will give you a really delicious pasta dish: 

Spirals with broad beans sauce

Ingredients

500 gms spiral or penne

2 cups frozen broad beans

4 rashers bacon 

2 medium leeks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ cups cream

2 tsp grated lemon rind 

salt and pepper to taste. 

  

1. Add pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and return to pan. 

2. While pasta Is cooking, plunge broad beans into a medium pan of boiling water. Remove immediately and cool in cold water. Drain and allow to cool. If the skin of your (frozen) beans had turned a bit tough, do the peeling.

3. Remove and discard rind from bacon. Chop bacon into small pieces.Set aside. 

4. Remove and discard outer leaves and dark green section of leeks. Wash leeks thoroughly to remove all dirt and grit. Using a sharp knife slice leeks finely.

5. Heat oil in a heavy based frying pan. Add leek and bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or until leek is golden. Add cream and lemon rind, cook for a few minutes. Add prepared beans, salt, and pepper. 

Add sauce in pasta and toss well to combine. Serve immediately in warm pasta bowls.