THE CHINESE BEANS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 63

For edible pods. Begin picking as soon as the pods have started to show the bare out-
line of the beans. At this point, you can eat the entire pod, as described on facing page.
For shelled beans. Let beans plump up before harvesting as fresh shell beans.
For dried beans. Let pods mature and dry before harvesting the fully mature beans for
drying. Beans reach the mature stage anywhere from 65 to 90 days, depending on the
variety.
I think it's a waste to freeze fava beans; I prefer to save my freezer space for other
vegetables. Eat them fresh while they're available and then contain yourself until the
next crop. Meanwhile enjoy all the wonderful things you can do with dried fava beans.
Varieties
Because of their immense popularity, fava beans are carried by many seed catalogs.
Varieties to look for: Aquadulce, Broad Windsor, Precoce Violetto.
CULINARY USES
COOKED YOUNG PODS . The very young pods of fava beans are deliciously edible, a
treat available only to the gardener who grows them. In no time at all, however, the
pods pass the point of edibility and become useful only as a container for the beans. If
you pride yourself on being a gourmet, don't pass up the chance to enjoy these beans
in this special way. Just cook the fava pods as you would snow peas: stir-fry or simmer
briefly in boiling salted water.
YOUNG BEANS, SHELLED AND COOKED . To enjoy fava beans at the next-to-earliest, just
past the edible-pod stage, shell them like peas and cook them just as tenderly. Some
say they even taste like peas, but I'm reluctant to ascribe the taste of a familiar veget-
able to an unfamiliar one. They taste like their delicious selves.
OLDER BEANS, SHELLED AND COOKED . If you've waited a little longer to pick and shell
them, remove the outer parchmentlike skin on the individual bean. This is easiest if you
blanch the beans, then rub with a dish towel or peel with a sharp knife. Once peeled,
cook just like the immature beans, until tender. Then you can:
• Drain them well and serve with heavy cream and a little summer savory.