In his latest blog entry, Michael Bauer goes Jerry Seinfeld and asks us “So what’s the deal with fava beans?” He cites their appearance on menus across the nation, from New York City’s The Modern (“crisp like a potato chip and served in a little glass along side a rhubarb consomme”) to Sebastopol’s West County Grill (“furry pods over the grill until … warm and charred in spots, then heaped them on a plate with a drizzle of olive oil and salt”) to The City’s CAV Wine Bar (“mashed with cheese and rosemary and spread on toast”).
Due to their easy cultivation and nutty-buttery taste, fava beans have been a longtime staple across the world, but they are just starting to make culinary waves across these United States of America. So, with the help of our handy web tools, let’s dedicate this week’s Scanning The Menu to fava beans.
Oh, and insert requisite Hannibal Lecter joke here.
After the jump, some places to indulge in the wonder that is the fava bean.
• Bix: Fava Bean Crostini with Pine Nuts and Calabrian Chilies, $8.50
• Campton Place: In the appetizer section: Chilled Maine Lobster with Pea Shoot Puree, Fava Beans (Supplement of $10); in the soup section: Spring Consommé of Fava Beans, Radish, White Mushrooms, Spinach Garlic Tortellini; in the main course section: Daurade with Fava Bean Risotto, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Herb Broth; also in the main course section: Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Carrots, Fava Beans, Rhubarb and Whiskey (All part of CP’s prix fixe menu)
• MarketBar: Fava Bean Bruschetta, Olivestri Olive Oil & Shaved Manchego Cheese, $9
• Quince: Terra Firma Farm Fava Bean Salad fried, marinated & crostini, $12; Alaskan Halibut asparagus, fava beans, mint, snow & snap peas, $28; Roast Tai Snapper fava bean puree & spring garlic cimarossa olive oil sauce, $29; Watson Farm Spring Lamb Capricciosa full belly farm spinach & fava beans, $36
• rnm: Arugula, Fava Bean and Strawberry Salad * with a fresh ricotta crostini, micro greens and a quail egg, $9
• Town Hall: English Peas and Fava Beans with parsley garlic butter, $4.50
• Zuni Cafe : Grilled Whole Fava Beans and Spring Onions with radishes and manchego, $9 (note: Zuni’s menu changes daily. Ours is a recent one though.)
