Week 10: Full of Beans

Well. Maybe not full of beans. But we do finally have enough to give everyone some.

The burgundy beans (our second bush bean planting) is still going reasonably strong, and the dragon's tongue (the third planting) should have a sizable harvest for the Saturday shares, but the favas are the real story this week.

Whatever magic weather these things need to set pods
finally happened this year, and the plants all look like this.

So, this week members will receive: Favas or Bush Beans, Carrots or Beets, Radishes, Cucumbers, Onions, Broccoli or Kohlrabi or Rutabaga, Lettuce or Endive, Basil, Parsley or Sorrel, and Tomatoes/Eggplant/Peppers.

I know that many people who receive fava beans will shove them in the fridge with intentions to figure out something to do with them, and then pull them back out in a week (or two), decide they are too old to eat, and compost them.

To avoid that as much as possible, I have made a board with as many good fava bean ideas as I could find. Click here for everything from grilled favas in the pod, to fava bean crostini. Also, it seems that many old world eaters do remove the pod, but don't peel the beans. Read about that here.

Now that the favas are covered, I would like to turn to the not actually green beans. The burgundy beans and the dragon's tongue will both lose their color when cooked. They're still appealing, the burgundies turn green and the dragons go yellow, they're just not as much fun. Because I always try to promote fun, I encourage those of you who receive them this week to eat them raw. 

This salad is a good way to do that.

Bean and Radish Pasta Salad

• Pasta to serve 4 (something fun, like bowties or rotini)
• A generous handful of bush beans, tops removed, beans chopped into bite size pieces
• One bunch of radishes, sliced thinly, greens chopped
• Your favorite basic vinaigrette - or use the recipe below

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, do not rinse with cold water. Toss it with the vinaigrette and radish greens so that the greens wilt a bit and become more tender. Then toss in the beans and sliced radishes. Can be served warm or cold.

Mustard Vinaigrette

•  1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the above ingredients until well combined.