Italian heritage backyard garden / Le Fave
In my home back in Melbourne my mum called them ‘fave‘ or ‘ le cuezz’ in her dialect, and she grew them in her Italian -Australian backyard. She loved ‘le fave fresche’, eaten raw directly from the tender pod. I can still see mum in her most precious corner of the garden picking and eating le fave, a tradition from her home town Palese, Bari.
Broad bean is the word used in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Fava bean is used in the US.
Fave e Cicoria a corner stone of Puglia’s ‘cucina povera‘ tradition, provided an important source of protein when meat was too expensive: dried fava beans are slow-cooked into a velvety purée and served with chicory/cicoria and generously covered with extra – virgin olive oil. I generally serve this traditional dish with toasted bread.
Boiled Fave
Simple family recipe
10 minute dish!
Pod the beans means to take them out of their casing.
Boil 400 g fresh seasonal fave with 2 large spring onions for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon salt.
Drain and place in a bowl.
Add about 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil, toss and turn. Feel free to add fresh tomatoes and feta cheese for a quick refreshing salad or serve them simply boiled.
Farmer’s Market fresh produce
Spring onions enhance flavour and are a rich source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K which support both immune system and bone health. I particularly find them delicious.
My soft ‘fave’ covered with extra-virgin olive oil.
Lesson Tips
Key vocabulary
Seed: the small start of a plant. Sown in autumn. (revise seasons)
Germinate: when the seed begins to grow.
Root: the part of the plant that grows into the soil.
Shoot: the part of the plant that grows up toward the sunlight.
Leaf: the green part that absorbs sunlight to make food for the plant.
Life Cycle: seed, root, shoot, leaves, harvest.
Carpino Bean festival showcases two star products: fava beans and extra-virgin olive oil.
